Total to invest in new lube plant in Tianjin

France’s Total SA said it plans to to invest €30 million (US$42.6 million) in a new lubricant blending plant in Tianjin, a coastal city in northern China. Tianjin Lubrication Oil Blending Plant, a new subsidiary of Total China, will produce a full range of lubricating oils and greases. Expected to become operational by the fourth quarter of 2012, it is designed to reach a maximum capacity of 200,000 metric tons annually. “The new investment in Tianjin marks a strategic move from Total’s existing lubricant manufacturing facilities in Guangdong province and Jiangsu province to cover the high-potential provinces in north and west of China,” said Thierry Pflimlin, senior vice-president of Total Refining and Marketing for the Asia-Pacific region. (March 24,2011)