Afton Chemical Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of petroleum additives, has received approval from the NewMarket Corporation board to begin construction of the new second phase of its chemical additive manufacturing facility on Jurong Island, Singapore.

Afton Chemical is a part of the NewMarket Corporation family of companies.

The construction of the first phase (previously announced in July, 2012) is scheduled to be completed by year end 2015, said a statement from the company.

The second phase, which includes the construction of additional component production units will more than double Afton’s investment in Jurong Island for a total of approximately S$400 million ($284 million). This new phase is scheduled to be completed in 2017, it added.

After the completion of these two phases, the plant will have full capability to produce all of the engine oil additives we need for the Asia-Pacific (Apac) region and will be scalable to allow Afton to grow as demand warrants, said the statement.

Longer term, additional units, such as specialty dispersants, may be added to produce other petroleum additive products in line with market and our customer’s needs, it added.

Rob Shama, president, Afton Chemical, said: “Our Apac customers have unique sets of challenges that require unique solutions, and this investment will allow us to fulfill our vision of making customised solutions for the region in the region.”

“This additional capacity in combination with our new R&D centre and expanding team makes it easier to deliver our promise of giving our customers a competitive advantage in their markets,”

Upon completion of this investment, Afton will own and operate regional manufacturing in Suzhou, China and Jurong Island, Singapore.

Additionally, it also has technical centres in Tsukuba, Japan and Suzhou, China and commercial offices in Tokyo, Japan; Beijing, China; Guangzhou, China; Seoul, South Korea; Sydney, Australia; Bangkok, Thailand; and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Afton maintains its regional headquarters in Singapore. – TradeArabia News Service