Contents ISSUE No. 193 June 2026 8


13 17 22


24 26


36 29


40 42


44 Regulars:


Editor’s Comment ....................................................................................... 3 Presidents’ Reports ...................................................................................... 4 Industry News & Moves ............................................................................... 6 UEIL News ................................................................................................. 51 In conversation with Ben Walter, Krahn UK ................................................ 52 VLS ........................................................................................................... 56 Local Market Report, France ...................................................................... 59 ICIS Base Oil Report ................................................................................... 61 Forthcoming Events .................................................................................. 62


the official online directory


Beyond petroleum: A new era in sustainable hydro-turbine lubrication Zach Hunt, Martin Greaves, Jeff DiMaio, and Ben Bergmann, VBASE Oil Company


Reformulating for the future Callum Dorward, Metalworking Product Manager, Europe, Lubrizol Additives


AI in lubricants: Closing the gap between how buyers buy and how we sell Rob Taylor, Co-Founder Plan.Grow.Do.


The importance of water quality in cleaner selection and maintenance Stephanie Zublick, Global Strategic Product Line Manager, Quaker Houghton


Signal Radar 2025–2030: Five indicators shaping Europe’s refining future and the global base oils market


Benedict George, Editor, European Products, and Guo Harn Hong “Marc”, Global Lead, Base Oils, Argus Media


Digital fluids: How data is transforming lubricant performance Tina Reading, Editor, Lube Magazine


Lube-Tech: ‘Wear’ and ‘wear parts’ in contextual relation with ‘obsolescence’ Dr. Mathias Woydt, MATRILUB, and Rolf Luther, Gesellschaft für Tribologie e.V., Aachen


The Future of the European Lubricants Industry Conference: Navigating change Tina Reading, Editor, Lube Magazine


Making sense of metalworking fluid marketing claims David Wright, Director General, UKLA


Inspiring future scientists: Where local action creates lasting impact Daphne Vlastari, Head of Communications and Government Relations, Europe North, BASF


Closing the loop: Why I believe re-refined used oil is no longer optional Mark Olpin, Executive Chairman, Slicker Recycling


Editor’s Desk


Welcome to the June 2026 issue of Lube Magazine, and what a fascinating, and challenging, moment this is for our industry.


Across the global lubricants sector, change is no longer something sitting quietly on the horizon, it is happening now, rapidly, and from every direction at once. Electrification, sustainability targets, evolving standards, digitalisation, geopolitical instability, supply chain pressures, workforce challenges and shifting customer expectations are all reshaping the market at extraordinary speed.


We are operating in turbulent times. From the lasting impact of Covid and ongoing global conflicts, through to pricing volatility, raw material pressures, product dumping concerns and changing legislation, businesses across the lubricants value chain are being forced to adapt faster than ever before. Yet alongside these challenges comes opportunity, for innovation, collaboration and reinvention.


One thing is becoming increasingly clear, lubricants are no longer simply supporting machinery and mobility. They are playing an essential role in efficiency, sustainability and the wider decarbonisation agenda across multiple industries.


These themes will form the centrepiece of the forthcoming Lube Media Conference 2026, taking place on 10 June at BMA House.


Bringing together industry leaders, technical specialists and decision-makers from across the sector, this year’s conference will focus on The Future of the Lubricants Industry.


At a time of unprecedented market turbulence and transition, the event will tackle some of the biggest questions facing our industry today, from sustainability and AI, through to workforce development, evolving customer expectations and long-term industry resilience.


Importantly, the conference is not simply about identifying challenges, it is about exploring solutions and ensuring our industry continues to evolve, innovate and remain commercially strong in the years ahead.


The Directory for the Global Lubricants Industry


For more information visit www.lube-media.com/elid or contact laurie@ukla.org.uk


As always, my sincere thanks go to all of our contributors, partners and readers around the world for your continued support of Lube Magazine. Your expertise, insight and willingness to share knowledge are what continue to make this such a dynamic and collaborative industry to be part of.


I hope you enjoy the issue.


Tina Reading, Editor, LUBE Magazine editor@ukla.org.uk


LUBE MAGAZINE NO.193 JUNE 2026 3


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