News Archive - 2009

Quality Protocol heads for Europe - 1 August 2009

A Quality Protocol for ‘Processed Fuel Oil’ (PFO) has been developed by the Environment Agency in conjunction with interested industry bodies.

This protocol will set the technical standard(s) to which waste lubricating oil will have to be recovered if it is to be sold in England or Wales as a non-waste. Achieving this standard should take the PFO outside of any waste management controls such as the Waste Incineration Directive for onward use.

Puralube plans Norwegian Rerefinery - 1 June 2009

By George Gill

Ineos Bamble AS and Puralube Nordic AS have reached agreement for a lubricant oil production plant on the Ineos site at Ronningen in Bamble, Norway. Puralube plans to invest 400 million Norwegian kroner (U.S. $70.6 million) in the new rerefining facility, which will convert waste oils into lubricants for use in cars, other transportation and a broad range of industrial applications.

Puralube will build, own and operate the plant. When commissioned in 2010, it is expected to be capable of producing about 75,000 metric tons per year of high viscosity, low sulfur, water-white base oil.

Increase in re-refining on mainland Europe - 1 June 2009

Changes in UK environmental guidance and in the waste oil resale market following the closure of large industrial consumer sites, have released more feedstock for export to Europe for re-refining. Eco-Oil parent company Puralube GMBH now imports waste oil for recovery while sending re-refined base oil back to the UK for blending and resale into the automotive servicing market.