The Peter Greven group of companies, one of the leading manufacturers of oleochemical products based on renewable raw materials, announced the start up of a new esterification line at its site in Bad Münstereifel, Germany. The new line will increase the company’s production capacity for esters by around 50%.

Technically, the new line is based on the esterification plant from 2013. After a comprehensive plant optimisation program, the new line is even more cost and energy efficient, the company says.

The new production line is part of Peter Greven’s strategic focus—the expansion of its ester business, in particular, complex esters. Synthetic esters are getting more important for the lubricants industry and the new esterification line produces LIGALUB® ester lubricants, which are mainly used as base oils.

“The environmental requirements for lubricants increase and the trend towards biolubricants continues. This is where our esters step in: In comparison to mineral oil-based products, they are biodegradable and sustainable. Therefore, setting up a new esterification plant was the next consistent step for us,” says Peter Greven, managing director.

This family business was founded in 1923 and has continued to develop ever since. In 2007,

Peter Greven Fett-Chemie founded the joint venture Peter Greven Asia with IOI Oleochemical Industries, based in Penang, Malaysia. The aim of the cooperation between these two market leaders is to position themselves as one of the leading metallic soap suppliers in Asia over the next few years.

Today Peter Greven is an international group of companies with production sites in Germany, The Netherlands, Malaysia, and the U.S.A. The company supplies customers in more than 85 countries.