FUCHS LUBRICANTS SOUTH AFRICA to increase local production capacity

FUCHS LUBRICANTS SOUTH AFRICA is set to increase its lubricants production capacity by investing ZAR218 million (USD11.5 million) to expand the production plant. This expansion is the second phase of an overall expansion strategy that started five years ago. Phase One of the investment plan involved acquiring additional land at the Isando facility and constructing a new, warehouse and head office complex, completed in mid-2022.

Paul Deppe, Managing Director at FUCHS Lubricants South Africa said, “The next part of our expansion is to increase our production capacity. This was necessary as the current plant is running at capacity 24/7. We had to look at expanding our production capability to meet market demand. The new plant is an expansion of the existing plant and will bring about a much-needed capacity increase, and it will be automated. 80% of the project spend will be local, and the balance will be imported, mainly on automation.”

Esther Seabi, Sustainability Director at FUCHS, highlighted that in line with the FUCHS Net Zero goals, the project will focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy as key drivers. Features include insulation, variable speed drives (VSDs), heat recovery from heated products and flue gas, and a solar PV system. Recently, FUCHS received an accolade from the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA) Leadership Awards for 2021-2022. In addition, the new FUCHS head office has been certified as net zero carbon.

Mr Deppe is confident that FUCHS will continue growing its footprint in Africa. “We are steadily increasing our market share and expanding throughout Sub-Saharan Africa from our regional hub in Isando,” he concluded.