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Fuels & Lubes International Quarter Three 2015
the Chinese economy,
which has impacted
lubricant demand as well.
“Shell operates
the largest lubricant
business in China among
international companies,
and is also the third
largest lubricant supplier
in the China market, after
Sinopec and PetroChina,”
said Shen. “We consider
China the most important
strategic market in
the future and we’ve
maintained our investment
there in recent years.”
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT
Shell has increasingly
devoted its efforts to
the China market as
China overtook the
United States as the
largest car market in the
world. A new, state-of-
art lubricant blending
plant was inaugurated
in June at Nangang, in
the automotive city of
Tianjin in northern China,
supplementing seven
other lube blending
plants in the country.
This plant is the largest
in Shell’s China system,
with a capacity to
produce 330 million litres
per year and the potential
to expand to 500 million
litres per year.
Shell also has invested
in the China supply chain
to achieve consistent
delivery of high-quality
lubricant products, Shen
said. For example, Shell
has established a gas-to-
liquids (GTL) base oil hub
in Hong Kong to supply
the Chinese market with
this high quality base oil
used to formulate Shell
Helix Ultra with PurePlus
Technology, for example.
R&D PROGRAM
Shell has also prioritized
its R&D program in
China. In Shanghai, it
has established a new
technology centre, which
focuses on lubricant
product development and
applications for China and
the greater Asia region.
The centre is one of only
three global centres,
the other two being in
Hamburg, Germany and
Houston, Texas, U.S.A. It
has become an efficient
communication platform
for Chinese OEMs, Shen
said.
Through technical
training and the provision
of comprehensive
solutions, the benefits
to local distributors,
customers and OEMs have
been significant, he said,
citing Jiefang Automobile,
Geely and global gear-box
supplier Fast as among
those that have profitted
from the new centre.
Innovative marketing
activities are central
to Shell’s business in
China. Shell Helix Ultra
was first launched at the
Beijing National Aquatics
Center in October 2013.
The grand and innovative
event has put the brand at
the forefront of Chinese
consumers.
“Chinese customers
now know more about
lubricant brands, and they
want more choices than
they would get by relying
simply on 4S shops,”
Shen said. “That’s why
we introduced a new
branding strategy for Helix
Ultra in China, making
Helix the most popular
brand among Chinese
consumers. According to
战略调整
中国已取代美国成为世界最大
的汽车市场，因此，壳牌不断
加强在华投资力度。一个全新
的先进润滑油调配厂在天津
市南港工业区正式投入运营，
此前壳牌已在中国运营七个润
滑油调配厂。新工厂年产量为
3.3亿公升，具备5亿公升的扩
能能力。
沈坚还说，壳牌还投资中国
润滑油供应链，以持续供应高
品质润滑油。例如，壳牌在香
港建立了天然气制油（GTL）
基础油储存中心，为中国市场
提供高品质基础油，这类基础
油也应用在采用PurePlus技
术的壳牌极净超凡喜力润滑油
配方中。
研发项目
壳牌对中国的研发项目也高度
重视。公司在上海成立了新的
技术中心，专注于中国及亚太
地区润滑油的研发及应用。
该中心也是壳牌第三个全球技
术中心，另外两个技术中心分
别位于德国汉堡和美国德克萨
斯州休斯顿。沈坚说，上海技
术中心也是中国原始设备制造
商（OEM）高效的全球交流
平台。
沈坚说道，通过技术培训以
及全方位解决方案，中国本土
经销商、客户和OEM制造商
受益匪浅，包括解放汽车、吉
利、以及全球变速器供应商法
士特都受益于新技术中心。
创新市场营销活动是壳牌在
中国业务活动的重心。2013年
10月，壳牌极净超凡喜力润滑
油Shell Helix Ultra在北京水
立方首发。这一盛大的创新活
动把壳牌品牌活现在中国消费
者眼前。
“如今，中国用户对润滑油
品牌越来越了解，他们更乐意
James Shen
