BRB Lube oil Additives & Chemicals, a leading global supplier of lubricant oil additives and speciality chemicals, launched the new Viscotech® LR series, a low carbon footprint viscosity modifier solution, dissolved in high-quality re-refined base oils (RRBO), as an alternative to virgin base oils. Viscosity modifiers formulated using recycled base oils are ready for introduction into the value chain as high-value products, currently used in automotive and industrial lubricants.
They are drop-in alternatives for standard Viscotech, with the primary difference being that they contain re-refined base oil, which reduces the product’s carbon footprint by approximately 60% from cradle to gate, compared to using virgin base oil. Furthermore, it reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 0.1 kg per kg of final oil formulation [1], thereby supporting end-users in the value chain to reduce their carbon footprint (scope 3 reduction). Using re-refined raw materials supports the shift from dependence on virgin fossil fuels towards a circular economy.
“We are very excited to share the new Viscotech® LR series with the market. With high-quality RRBO as a raw material in Viscotech® viscosity modifiers, we deliver innovative formulations that meet stringent standards and exhibit performance in parity with modifier solutions based on virgin base oil,” says Roger Dohmen, Vice President of BRB Lube Oil Additives & Chemicals. “For us, RRBOs are no longer a compromise, but a strategic enabler for products that contribute to a reduced carbon footprint, both for BRB and the value chains.”
As a subsidiary of Malaysia’s PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (PCG), BRB Lube Oil Additives & Chemicals is now part of the Speciality Chemicals division of PCG. PCG Speciality Chemicals division has set ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the reductions required to keep global warming limited to 1.5°C, the most ambitious goal of the Paris Agreement. With the new Viscotech LR series, BRB is building on a sustainable speciality portfolio that focuses on innovation and carbon reduction.
“Over the years, we’ve made continuous efforts and succeeded in speciality formulations with high-quality RRBO in our premium products, following a strategic shift towards solutions with a lower carbon footprint. We invite our customers to explore our product offerings with reduced climate impact and collaborate with BRB as business partners on the journey toward the circular economy and products with a lower carbon footprint,” said Roger Dohmen, Vice President of BRB Lube Oil Additives & Chemicals.
About Re-refined base oils (RRBO)
Rather than disposing of waste oils, an increasing number of producers are collecting used oils and removing impurities through multi-step technological processes, thus extending their life cycle. This is the concept behind RRBO. RRBO offers an alternative to virgin raw materials without compromising quality. Interest in RRBO has been growing recently, in line with market trends toward reducing carbon footprints, protecting the environment, and transitioning to a circular economy and production model.
