Domestic lubricant demand in Germany declined 8% to 51,416 tons in February, with steep decreases occuring in metalworking oils, machine oils, hydraulic fluids and turbine oils, according to data released April 27 by a government agency.
All metalworking oils category segments showed declines of at least 48%, the country’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Exported Control reported. Sales of non-water miscible oils dropped 57% to 783 tons, and water miscible oils consumption fell 54% to 854 tons. Anti-corrosion oils fell 56% to 144 tons, and hardening oils demand decreased 48% to 80 tons.
Transformer oil sales surged 124% to 1,396 tons, up from 624 tons. Machine oil demand posted the largest decline, of 58%, to 1,684 tons, compared to 3,961 tons.
Compressor oil demand slipped 18% down to 857 tons, while turbine oil consumption dropped 45% to 249 tons.
Motor oil sales, the highest volume demand category, rose 11% to 20,242 metric tons in February.
In the gear oils category, consumption of gear oils for cars increased 18% to 3,810 tons, and automatic transmission fluid demand jumped 24% to 4,534 tons. However, consumption of industrial gear oils declined 18% to 1,838 tons.
Grease consumption showed an uptick, with sales increasing 5% to 2,058 tons. Demand for greases for automotive applications rose 17% to 573 tons.
The data includes process oils demand, which fell 13% to 8,940 tons.