The Infineum group of companies was established in
January 1999 as a joint venture between ExxonMobil and Shell, bringing together their respective additive divisions to become a world leader in the formulation, manufacture and marketing of additives for the fuel and lubricant industry.
Our achievements are underpinned by rigorous processes that ensure consistency and quality through product development
to end delivery. Our technology excellence and collaborative approach has enabled us to develop, manufacture and deliver advanced chemical solutions that meet exacting customer
and industry standards and yield superior performance.
With headquarters in the UK, we have worldwide production facilities and sales representation in more than 70 countries and strategically located business and technology centres in China, Singapore, the UK, the USA and Japan.
We operate six manufacturing plants in New Jersey (USA), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Cologne (Germany), Vado Ligure (Italy), Singapore and Zhangjiagang (China) and have two further sites in France (Notre-Dame de Gravenchon and Berre) that are operated by site partners.
We aim to deliver this by generating exceptional value for our customers so that we can succeed together. We are building on our strong foundations in petroleum additives for lubricants and fuels and using our powerful research capabilities around ground-breaking chemistry to develop new solutions for the future.
In doing so, we believe it is imperative that we invest in a strong economic, social and environmental future for all stakeholders.
We want to grow our business to target more sustainable markets, segments, and products.
Our vision is to become a sustainable world-class specialty chemicals organisation, helping our customers to meet the
challenges of tomorrow, while giving them performance
they can rely on today.
Infineum’s technology is often hidden in plain sight, enhancing hardware performance, efficiency and durability in many of the world’s most critical mechanical, industrial and transportation applications.
For many years, Infineum has been applying cutting edge chemistry to the problems of friction and wear, while driving innovation across the lubricant and fuels industry. Today, our capabilities are increasingly being called upon to help create a cleaner and more sustainable future.
Our market leading solutions are the result of years of meticulous development built on our leading research and development capabilities. In fact, our technology excellence is backed by more than 1,900 global patents (including applications) and a highly skilled and engaged workforce of around 2,000 people across culturally and geographically diverse teams.
We adhere to proven and reliable processes throughout our operations, from product development through to end delivery, that are designed to ensure consistent product quality and supply reliability.
With a network of over 3,000 global suppliers, Infineum has robust supply chains established on the foundation of long-term and strategic partnerships. We also work closely with over 20 external manufacturers, or toll blenders who deliver our products directly to our customers. These partners are spread across several global sites, ranging from small plants to larger, more strategic sites producing multiple products.
As a strategic collaborator to many Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the transportation sector and through a leading role in industry groups, Infineum has been instrumental in the definition and evolution of many new specifications that have driven, and will continue to drive, improvements in lubricant performance, including lower in-use emissions.
Our vision is to become a sustainable world-class specialty chemicals company. This vision is aligned with growing global sustainability aspirations. Our products have consistently played a key role in aiding our industry to save energy, minimise costs and reduce emissions. However, as aging technologies are replaced to address global energy and climate challenges, we need to continue to innovate and develop novel solutions to meet the needs of the future and facilitate the transition towards a low-carbon economy.
To help us achieve this, we have refreshed our corporate strategy and reshaped our strategic business units under two commercial towers.
Our Sustainable Transportation tower will support Personal Mobility and Commercial Engines. The focus is on enabling the energy transition by reducing the carbon impact of the internal combustion engine and through the development of alternative fuels.
Our Energy Applications tower will drive the organisation’s strategic intent to grow existing and new business, including climate-resilient segments, maximising the value of Infineum’s unique technology.
This new strategy has sustainability and the energy transition at its core. It is designed to create value across a range of technical and commercial applications that support the objectives of the energy transition. This will allow Infineum to both contribute to, and thrive in, the sustainable future to which the world transitioning.
Hybridisation is a key bridging technology for the industry on the road to net zero. To support this transition, Infineum has extensively researched the impact of hybrid operating conditions on lubricant performance and identified performance features that signify robust in-field hybrid capability. The Infineum Hybrid Test protocol evaluates lubricant performance under severe hybrid operating conditions. It provides a ‘beyond the spec’ assessment of hybrid performance for products that meet existing industry standards. The protocol is low-cost and requires less than half a gallon of oil to complete, representing a minimal contribution to waste and emissions during product development.
As the automotive industry further shifts towards full electrification, new requirements for vehicle fluids are emerging, from thermal management to help cool down engines or electrical conductivity properties, to gearbox lubrication for fully electric vehicles. We are leading the way in e-fluid formulation and, in 2023, we launched an enhanced portfolio for power transmission fluids, offering solutions for the vehicle’s entire driveline.
While progress is continuing in the development of electric vehicles, the internal combustion engine will likely remain a big part of the future of mobility in some applications and markets. Here, the development of engines running on fuels such as green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol will be key to decarbonising our transportation systems. However, the combustion of hydrogen for example, as compared to gasoline and diesel fuel, presents a different set of dynamics regarding engine hardware. Lubricant technology will need to be modified to meet the specific needs of these engines and may become critical to their technical and commercial success.
In an exciting move forward, in 2023 our Alternative Fuels team has developed lubricant technology for hydrogen-powered engines in the heavy-duty market. Our new technology is now commercially available and will help hydrogen engines improve pre-ignition performance.
Within the marine sector, our marine lubricants and fuels team
have pioneered innovative solutions to enhance the application of fuels such as ammonia and methanol. This has enabled the maritime industry to advance on its path towards decarbonisation.
Infineum is exploring a large pipeline of new business opportunities at different stages of commercial and
technical feasibility.
One of the most promising is magneto-rheological fluids, powders and greases that instantaneously and reversibly modify their rheologic properties in the presence of a magnetic field. The potential applications are diverse, including shock absorbers steering, and braking systems for automotive applications, actuators and controllers for gaming and electronics, aerospace, robotics, prosthetics, white goods, civil engineering and more.
We are also using our unique capabilities and proprietary chemistry to develop materials for lithium-ion batteries, helping to increase their energy density and decrease the cost of stored energy. These advancements hold the potential to be scaled up for commercial applications in E-mobility systems or static energy storage in the near future.
