German rerefiner Puraglobe said today that it has contracted an engineering firm to build another used lubricant rerefinery, this one outside of Europe.
The company did not, however, disclose the cost, capacity or timeline for the project, and it was unclear whether a news release referred to a project long in the works in the United States.
Puraglobe said in the news release that it commissioned EDL Anlagenbau Gesellschaft to engineer its fourth rerefinery. The first three are located on the same site, in Elsteraue, Germany, giving the company capacity to make 50,000 metric tons per year each of API Group II and III base stocks. The latest of those plants was commissioned this spring.
The news release said the contract with EDL was signed two months ago and that it commissions the firm to do basic and detailed engineering. The news release said nothing about location of the fourth plant except that it will be outside of Europe.
Puraglobe has previously discussed plans to build a rerefinery in Tampa, Florida, U.S.A., a project first undertaken more than a decade ago by NexLube. Puraglobe joined the project in 2016 and later took it over. In November 2022 Puraglobe said it had completed engineering for that project, had resumed construction that NexLube began and that it aimed to open the facility in late 2024.
Puraglobe did not immediately respond to questions about today’s announcement.