Total Lubricants mark 50 years at Ferrybridge
Oil company outlines expansion plan to mark half a century of blending in West Yorkshire
TOTAL Lubricants, who this month are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their UK blending plant, have unveiled plans to invest in developing and expanding the site at Ferrybridge, in West Yorkshire.
The development plan includes the purchase of four acres of land adjacent to the plant, which will allow Total Lubricants to develop and upgrade the site, review their warehousing operations and enhance the blending process.
Planning permission has been granted and work is due to commence in 2021. The ambitious plan includes developments involving renewable energies and optimization that will modernize the manufacturing process and increase the efficiency of the site.
Total are the only integrated oil company who still manufacture lubricants in the UK, and offer a complete range of engine oils, transmission and hydraulic oils, greases, and coolants. Total Lubricants’ blending plant in Ferrybridge currently employs 90 staff.
Anna Whitehouse, Total Group’s vice-president of operations in Western Europe and former general manager of the Ferrybridge blending plant, said: ‘It has been a privilege for me to be part of the 50-year history of Total Lubricants in the UK.
‘Everyone concerned can be proud of the past and confident for the future, knowing that the business can, has always, and will continue to adapt in line with market changes.’
John Ryder, current general manager of the plant, said: ‘As the only major energy company to still have a blending operation in the UK, we are in a strong position for the future due to the proximity to our customer base.
‘This investment underlines our commitment to the Yorkshire region and the UK market, and we are pleased to make this announcement on the 50th anniversary of blending at Ferrybridge.’
Blending in the UK since 1970, when Total purchased the grease plant from TH Newsome, Total Lubricants are recognized as one of the world’s leading manufacturers of advanced lubricants, operating in over 130 countries worldwide and selling more than 2 billion litres of product each year.
