
HD Hyundai Oilbank, Shell to shore up lube base oil business
HD Hyundai said Friday that its joint venture with Shell will enter the high-performance, high-added-value lube base oil market, bolstering its lineup of premium products.
HD Hyundai Shell Base Oil, a 60:40 joint venture between HD Hyundai Oilbank and Shell, will invest in expanding its Daesan plant in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, with a goal to begin full-scale commercial production of Group III LBO in 2027.
Lube base oil, or LBO, is the primary component for various types of lubricants such as engine oil and industrial lubricants. It is categorized into three groups based on manufacturing processes and quality traits. Due to its high viscosity index, low amount of sulfur, great oxidation stability, Group III lube base oil is considered an eco-friendly, high-performance product and is seeing a growth in its global demand.
The Group III LBO produced by HD Hyundai Shell Base Oil will be supplied to a fast-growing lubricant market of high-performance cars, electric vehicles and immersion cooling systems used at data centers.
HD Hyundai Shell Base Oil opened its plant in 2014 and started producing Group II LBO. It has continued to expand its global presence to Asia, Europe and North America and now supplies products to 50 countries.
'Based on the experiences that have satisfied the quality demands from various clients, we have decided to add another premium product lineup,' said an official at HD Hyundai Shell Base Oil. 'Through technological cooperation with Shell, we will do our best to begin commercial operation according to the scheduled plan.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Korea Herald
7 hours ago
- Korea Herald
HD Hyundai Oilbank, Shell to shore up lube base oil business
HD Hyundai said Friday that its joint venture with Shell will enter the high-performance, high-added-value lube base oil market, bolstering its lineup of premium products. HD Hyundai Shell Base Oil, a 60:40 joint venture between HD Hyundai Oilbank and Shell, will invest in expanding its Daesan plant in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, with a goal to begin full-scale commercial production of Group III LBO in 2027. Lube base oil, or LBO, is the primary component for various types of lubricants such as engine oil and industrial lubricants. It is categorized into three groups based on manufacturing processes and quality traits. Due to its high viscosity index, low amount of sulfur, great oxidation stability, Group III lube base oil is considered an eco-friendly, high-performance product and is seeing a growth in its global demand. The Group III LBO produced by HD Hyundai Shell Base Oil will be supplied to a fast-growing lubricant market of high-performance cars, electric vehicles and immersion cooling systems used at data centers. HD Hyundai Shell Base Oil opened its plant in 2014 and started producing Group II LBO. It has continued to expand its global presence to Asia, Europe and North America and now supplies products to 50 countries. 'Based on the experiences that have satisfied the quality demands from various clients, we have decided to add another premium product lineup,' said an official at HD Hyundai Shell Base Oil. 'Through technological cooperation with Shell, we will do our best to begin commercial operation according to the scheduled plan.'


Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Korean shipbuilding rivals unite for Poland's W8tr submarine bid
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean, maritime-to-defense competitors, are forming an alliance to win Poland's 8 trillion won ($5.8 billion) worth submarine bid, aiming to resolve their decades-long rivalry to boost global exports. According to industry sources Wednesday, the two companies are seeking to land Poland's Orka Project by presenting themselves as a South Korean consortium, marking their first partnership in pursuing a large-scale export contract. The project includes construction and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) of three 3,600 metric ton submarines for the Polish Navy. While project details remain undisclosed, industry insiders anticipate that Poland will select a preferred bidder by the second quarter and make a final decision by September. Although HD Hyundai and Hanwha had already submitted separate proposals in November 2023 before allying this year, industry insiders suggest that the Polish government might view their unified effort, which combines the strengths of both companies, as enhancing technological competitiveness. 'HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha had proposed 2,300-ton and 3,000-ton vessels, respectively, to Poland. This dual approach can address the various needs of the Polish government, increasing the likelihood of Korea securing the contract on a national level,' said a source on condition of anonymity. In February, HD Hyundai and Hanwha signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint team with the state-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration for ship export projects. Under this agreement, HD Hyundai will lead surface ship export initiatives, while Hanwha will focus on submarine exports, with each company supporting the other. In the following month, they submitted a proposal to secure a 20 billion won Canadian submarine project. The rival shipyards' belated partnership comes after Korea's unsuccessful bid for Australia's new frigate project last year. HD Hyundai and Hanwha pursued the project separately, only to lose to unified teams from Japan and Germany. DAPA reportedly mediated the ongoing feud between the two companies over the 8 trillion won next-generation Korean destroyer (KDDX) bid, urging collaboration to increase their chances of landing global export bids. Despite the Korean government's efforts, the shipbuilders maintain their competitive standoff on the Korean Navy's advanced warship development project. HD Hyundai, the primary contractor selected by DAPA for the basic design of the KDDX in 2020, faced a setback when Hanwha filed a police complaint in March, alleging that HD Hyundai executives were involved in leaking Hanwha's confidential materials related to the KDDX bid. In November, Hanwha withdrew the complaint, citing 'mutual support and cooperation' for the country's shipbuilding industry. However, the company did not retract its application for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's KDDX contractor designation process this year. While DAPA oversees the project, the industry ministry is in charge of officially designating the contractor. DAPA postponed the selection process multiple times, from April until after the presidential election. 'Although collaborating as a joint team for global exports is a reasonable strategy for both companies, with growing maritime security threats from North Korea, it is vital for the government to prioritize the rapid deployment of advanced warships like the KDDX,' the source said. 'The industry calls for swift and decisive action to achieve the fastest possible operations of those ships.'
![[Photo News] Shipbuilding tycoons at MADEX 2025](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F05%2F28%2Fnews-p.v1.20250528.51896b8a48ca480bbffd6ffb60a4ab42_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[Photo News] Shipbuilding tycoons at MADEX 2025](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fkoreaherald.com.png&w=48&q=75)
Korea Herald
28-05-2025
- Korea Herald
[Photo News] Shipbuilding tycoons at MADEX 2025
HD Hyundai Executive Vice Chairman Chung Ki-sun (third from right) takes a selfie with new employees of HD Hyundai Heavy Industries' special ship buisness unit at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition -- MADEX -- 2025 in Busan on Wednesday. Chung presented the company's vision to build the best warships that back up the global maritime security during a reception ceremony with representatives from several countries. (HD Hyundai) Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan (second from left) visits the exhibition booth of Hanwha's three affiliates -- Hanwha Ocean, Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems -- at MADEX 2025 on Wednesday. During a reception with global representatives, Kim highlighted the defense conglomerate's efforts to help the Korean economy, saying the company continues to embody the principles of doing business as a corporation to contribute to the state and humanity. (Hanwha Group)