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SINGAPORE SPECIALTY CHEMICALS GUIDE 2020/2021
the company’s passenger car, heavy-duty and marine lubricant formulations.
As for Evonik, its oil additives plant on Jurong Island is the largest facility within the group following an expansion in 2015. The enlarged plant also features improved automation to reduce energy consumption and waste, re ecting Evonik’s strong focus on resource ef ciency.
Encouraged by Asia’s growth, lubricant producers are also expanding their capacity and improving their capability. In April 2019 ExxonMobil unveiled a multi-billion-dollar programme to expand its manufacturing complex in Singapore, its largest integrated re ning and petrochemical complex in the world, to convert fuel oil and other crude products into higher value lube base stocks and distillates.
The investment, the latest and most signi cant re nery investment in base stock production in Singapore, will boost the plant’s capacity by an extra 20,000 barrels a day of its Group II base stock oil and 48,000 barrels a day of cleaner fuels with lower sulphur content, including the high-quality marine fuels required by the International Maritime Organization.
Bryan Milton, president of ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants Company, said, “By using
a combination of proprietary catalyst and process technologies, we will increase the site’s competitiveness and help meet growing demand for high-performance lubricants and cleaner fuels.”
Engineering, procurement and construction activities for the expansion have started and operations are expected to begin in 2023.
In the same month, the group’s chemical arm, ExxonMobil Chemical, of cially opened two new plants on Jurong Island. The halobutyl rubber plant, which began commercial production in the second half of 2019, produces up to 140,000 tonnes a year. By using halobutyl rubber to keep tyres properly in ated, vehicle owners can lower fuel consumption, and hence reduce vehicle carbon emissions.
Its second new plant is equipped to produce up of 90,000 tonnes annually of its proprietary product, Escorez hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins. Operational since December 2017, it is the world’s largest of its kind. Hydrogenated hydrocarbon resins are used in hot-melt adhesives, typically used in packing or baby diapers.
“Expansion projects like this enable us to better serve the Asia Paci c region, the key growth market globally for these specialty chemicals. These two new specialty chemical
plants will strengthen ExxonMobil’s competitive manufacturing base to help meet market demand for these high-performance products,” said Karen McKee, president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company.
Chemical Manufacturing Output, 2014-2018 (S$million)
FAST FACTS ABOUT SINGAPORE CHEMICALS
• Singapore was ranked the 7th largest exporter of chemicals in 2018 by the World Trade Statistical Review
• With revenues of S$100.4 billion in 2018, the chemical industry came second only to electronics in Singapore’s manufacturing sector
• Specialty chemicals is the smallest sector in the chemical cluster generating revenues of S$9.8 billion in 2018, 9.8 percent of the total, but accounted for 25 percent of its value added
Year
Petroleum
Petrochemicals
Specialty Chemicals
Others
Chemicals Cluster
2014
46,359.5
42,496.8
9,221.4
4,211.1
102,288.7
2015
32,482.8
32,004.5
9.202.8
4.247.2
77,937.4
2016
26,987.2
28,087.5
9,235.6
4,432.8
68.743.1
2017
35,926.8
34,385.8
9,472.5
4,676.3
84,461.4
2018
44,966.3
40,629.4
9,887.2
4,910.9
100,393.8
Source: Singapore Economic Development Board
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