Keeping the world progressing today for tomorrow

For many, the first association with lubricants might be engine oil for passenger cars sold at petrol stations or at workshops, but its application extend far beyond the road.

We recently interviewed Jason Wong, Executive Vice President for Global Lubricants, who shared: “Any machinery or equipment with moving parts relies on lubrication to function efficiently. From trucks to industrial machinery, Shell Lubricants is a leader in providing high-quality solutions across multiple sectors.”

In fact, Shell Lubricants has been the market leader for 18 consecutive years in row and this is across the three sectors it operates in: passenger cars, commercial road transport, and the business-to-business sector. The business’ success has been built on five key differentiators; “Our success comes from our strong brand, cutting-edge technology, strategic partnerships, our talented people, and finally our global supply chain, ” Jason explained.

And as demand for lubricants continues to grow, he noted that Asia is emerging as a critical market - “While the US and Europe continue to be our bread and butter, the biggest growth potential is in the East,” . Large markets like China, India, and Indonesia are driving increased demand in the region, making Singapore an important regional hub for Shell Lubricants.

A key asset in Shell’s Singapore operations is its Tuas plant — it is Shell’s 3rd largest lubricants plant in the world and 2nd largest in Asia-Pacific. Jason noted that “Tuas isn’t just serving the Singapore market, it’s supplying more than 40 countries globally, including Latin America and Australia,”. The plant plays a critical role in supporting Shell’s marine business as well. It presently supplies 30% of Shell’s global marine volumes right here from Singapore.

The power of innovation and partnerships

A major driver of Shell’s leadership in lubricants is its focus on innovation. For instance, the company was the first in the market to launch gas-to-liquids technology. The technology enables the production of high-quality base oils, which serve as raw material for Shell’s lubricant products. Collaborations with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) further strengthen Shell’s product development, ensuring that lubricants are optimised for the latest automotive and industrial applications.

Shell’s global presence is another key advantage. With around 30 lubricant blending plants and more than 10 grease plants worldwide, the company ensures reliable supply and consistent product quality for customers across the globe, with Jason noting “Our distributor network and supply chain give us the ability to provide competitive products while maintaining our global reach”.

Sustainability at the core

Sustainability is important to Shell, and its lubricants business is actively integrating lower-carbon solutions across the value chain. For instance, it is actively sourcing more re-refined base oils (RRBO) as feedstock to reduce its carbon footprint.

Beyond sourcing, Shell Lubricants is making significant progress in reducing its operational emissions in line with the group’s overall targets. In the interview, Jason shared that “Shell has a goal to cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030, and we’re already close to achieving that”. . Shell also helps its customers decarbonise by offering lower-carbon lubricant products and optimised packaging, by using more recycled materials..

Meeting the needs of an evolving market

As vehicle technology advances, lubricants must evolve as well. As electric vehicles (EVs) require specialised lubricants, Shell has been developing a strong portfolio of E-fluids and E-greases since 2019 to cater this fast-growing customer segment.

Another growing area of focus is the data centre industry. With the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, the demand for better cooling solutions is rising - “More computing power generates more heat, and effective thermal management is essential to manage the temperature of the operations,” explained Jason. To this end, Shell’s immersion cooling fluids are helping data centres improve energy efficiency.

Looking ahead, partnerships will remain central to Shell’s strategy. The company is working closely with industry leaders to develop cutting-edge lubricant and cooling solutions. Jason shared that “We’re in the final stages of testing with Intel, and we’ve announced close collaboration with BYD in China”..

With a strong commitment to innovation, sustainability, and partnerships, Shell Lubricants is well-positioned to continue leading the industry.