Figure 1: European automotive oil demand - 2019
European PCEO market demand varies by country. The highest share can be found in Poland (30.1%), France (29.3%) and Portugal (28.3%), while countries with the lowest PCEO share include Turkey (11.1%), Finland (11.6%) and The Netherlands (12.3%). These share estimates are based on total country lubricant demand, including automotive, industrial and process oils.
The PCEO market in Europe, as well as other regions and countries, is defined by viscometrics and performance. The basic level of performance is defined by ACEA, although many lubricants have additional performance demands as set by the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). This would include automobile companies like Mercedes Benz, Volvo, Volkswagen, and BMW.
The PCEO market has continued to evolve over the past three decades with fuel economy a major driving force. This includes performance under both fresh and aged conditions. Other key performance features include reduced emissions and extended drain; each of these are achieved through the careful balance of high-quality base oils and an appropriate additive package.
Fuel economy can be related to the viscosity of the PCEO with lower SAE grades associated with higher levels of fuel economy. This is measured by fuel consumption in terms of litres per kilometer, or by vehicle emissions (i.e., grams of CO2
emissions per
Source: KEPC
kilometer driven). Over the past twenty-five years, the profile of PCEO viscosity grades has continued to change with products shifting initially from from monogrades to multigrades, and later from higher viscosity grades like SAE 10W-30/40 and SAE 20W-50 towards thinner grades that have fuel economy benefits. This includes existing grades like SAE 0W-16/20, SAE 5W-20/30 and SAE 5W-40, with a further transition to lower viscosity SAE 0W-8 and SAE 0W-12 grades in the future. A profile of PCEO demand by SAE grade for Europe from 1995 to 2020 is provided in Figure 2.
The continuing shift towards lower SAE grade PCEO products has significantly impacted the base oil industry. As viscosity is reduced, the need for higher quality base stocks with excellent viscometric and volatility characteristics increases. In addition, the demand for reduced sulphur levels in engine oil formulations for emission control led to an early shift in Europe away from solvent refined Group I base stocks. The result has been a significant shift towards the use hydroprocessed Group II and Group III, and synthetic Group IV polyalphaolefin base stocks. In the early years, this transition focused mostly on the use of Group III base stocks as the region lacked Group II refining capacity but had several Group III options from Shell, Exxon (now ExxonMobil), TotalEnergies, Neste and others. Group IV meanwhile was available regionally from Exxon, ChevronPhillips, Neste and Ineos.
Continued on page 10 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.180 APRIL 2024 9
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