Petrochemical
Aster Chemicals & Puraglobe to build Singapore’s first re-refined base oil facility outside Germany
The planned facility would target one of the most overlooked streams in the energy economy
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By ICN Bureau | April 27, 2026
Aster Chemicals and Energy Pte and Puraglobe Germany have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore development of a Re-Refined Base Oil (RRBO) facility in Singapore, aiming to transform used motor oil into high-performance base oils.
The planned facility would target one of the most overlooked streams in the energy economy—used lubricating oil—and convert it into premium base oils that underpin modern industry. These materials are essential to everything from car engines and jet turbines to wind farm gearboxes, electric vehicle thermal systems, and high-precision manufacturing equipment.
The collaboration brings together Puraglobe’s proprietary re-refining technologies and Aster’s regional operational and commercial capabilities, positioning Singapore as the proposed launch base for what would be the first such facility outside Germany.
Under the project, named Project PURANOVA, used motor oil—often discarded or underutilized across Asia—would be processed into base oils that are molecularly identical to virgin Group III and III+ products. Puraglobe’s HyLube and HyRes technologies sit at the core of the process, enabling industrial-scale recovery and refinement with no comparable high-volume facility currently operating outside Germany.
The companies say the initiative marks a step toward scaling circular industrial systems in the region, turning waste streams into high-value inputs for global lubricant supply chains.
“Puraglobe has spent three decades proving that used motor oil is not waste, it is a premium feedstock waiting to be unlocked. We bring proven operating history across three German process trains, global offtake relationships with major lubricant manufacturers, and a technology stack continuously refined since our first commercial deployment in 2004.
"Singapore is the right base from which to bring this conviction to Asia. In Aster, we have found a partner that understands the industrial rigor this technology demands, the commercial ambition it deserves, and what it truly means to invest in the energy systems of tomorrow," said Alois Virag, Chief Executive Officer.
