ExxonMobil plans to build a 159,000 kilolitres/yr (141,000 t/yr) lube blending plant in west-coast India to meet the country’s growing lubricants demand.ExxonMobil plans to invest almost 9bn Indian rupees ($109mn) to build the plant, which is expected to start operations by end-2025.The plant will be situated in Raigad, Maharashtra, about 70km south of Mumbai.The company plans to source from local sources part of the raw materials and all of the packaging for the lubricants.“Manufacturing locally will simplify our supply chain, enabling us to serve the needs of our customers and consumers more readily,” ExxonMobil Lubricants India Chief Executive Officer Vipin Rana said in a social media post.India’s lube demand of 4.62mn t in 2022 rose by 2pc from the previous year to a record high.The country’s domestic base oils capacity is set to rise sharply over the coming years as a wave of new Group II and Group III units come online..India’s February lube demand falls.Base Oil News stories and analysis also available on ICIS platform
