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Leading lubricant supply firm Castrol Marine has announced that it will be opening a lubricant technology centre for the marine industry in 2010, Seatrade Asia reports.

The new technology centre will be located in the Jinqiao Science Park, Shanghai.

In addition to the development of lubricant technology for the marine industry, the new centre will also focus on the company's offshore, aviation, automotive and industrial business units. It will also support Chinese businesses that operate overseas.

The centre will feature state-of-the-art analytical and lubricant development laboratory areas, a high-tech conference centre and training facility.

Commenting on the announcement, Luigi Tedesco, sales director for Castrol Marine, said "This investment reinforces Castrol’s commitment to its Chinese customers and consumers and is a key part of our strategic plan to expand our business in China.

"Together with our research and development centres in the United Kingdom and Germany, the new technology centre will give us a world class capability to meet the unique and exciting challenges of the Chinese market and the wider ASPAC region, both now and in the future. Shanghai was chosen because it is easily accessible for our customers and partners and we believe we can recruit talented scientists and engineers locally."

The new technology centre is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year and will initially employ up to 20 Chinese and international engineers and scientists.

Castrol's plan to develop a technology centre in China for the marine industry follows on from the company's expansion into Guangzhou last year, where it began offering customers operating in the Pearl River Delta region the opportunity to access the company's comprehensive range of lubricants.

Castrol's expansion into Guangzhou followed the company's launch of a barge delivery service in 2008 at three strategic ports along China’s lower Yangtze River – Nanjing, Jiangyin, and Taicang. Six other Chinese ports were also added to the supply network.

Previous to the launch, vessels had to rely on marine lubricant deliveries by drum. As well as cost savings and loading and efficiency benefits, Castrol said the bulk supply service would improve overall safety levels with less storage of drums required onboard vessels.

In addition to the delivery service in Guangzhou, Castrol also last year opened a warehouse in Xiamen. Located in the southeastern Fujian province, the port is ranked amongst the top ten in China and is also an important base for making medium and large-sized modern container vessels and yachts.

In July 2009, the company launched the Castrol Academy - a module-based training course designed to address the widening skills gap in the marine engineering sector.

It allows marine operatives to study each module via a study pack with online support materials available anywhere in the world.

A total of eleven modules include everything from basic skills such as indentifying ship types, the basics of lubrication and working with base oils to more advanced skill sets such as engine operation, machinery installation and power transmission.