VBASE® Oil Company arrives at Lubricant Expo Europe 2026 with news that matters for European formulators: the company’s full line of high-performance Secondary Polyol Ester® (SPE®) base oils, spanning ISO Viscosity Grades 32 through 460, is now EU REACH and UK REACH compliant. The milestone coincides with VBASE’s first exhibit at Lubricant Expo Europe, marking the US-based company’s entry into the European market in earnest. Ahead of the show, we spoke with Dr. Martin Greaves, VBASE’s Chief Technology Officer, who leads the company’s European efforts from Switzerland, about what the registration means for formulators and what visitors can expect at Booth 680.
For readers meeting VBASE for the first time, can you introduce the company and what you do?
VBASE® Oil Company is based in the United States, in Pendleton, South Carolina. We produce high-performance and sustainable Secondary Polyol Ester® (SPE®) base oils across ISO VG 32 through 460, applied in hydraulic oils, gear oils, compressor oils, greases, marine oils, and fire-resistant fluids, among other applications. We also offer VBASE SynBoost™, a co-base oil technology for formulators seeking to boost the performance of base stocks.
VBASE has just completed EU REACH and UK REACH across your full SPE base oil line. What does that open up for European formulators?
Our entire SPE viscosity range, ISO VG 32 through 460, is now compliant under both EU REACH and UK REACH. All of those grades are also listed on the European Ecolabel LuSC-list, which means formulators working toward EU Ecolabel or Environmentally Acceptable Lubricant designation can use VBASE SPE base oils without submitting additional biodegradation, toxicity, or renewability documentation. With REACH compliance and inclusion on the LuSC-list, European formulators now have a clear, direct path to working with the full VBASE portfolio.
Who’s leading VBASE’s push into Europe, and how is the company organizing around it?
I am based in Switzerland and lead our European effort directly, working closely with Stephen Eck, our Chief Operating Officer, who leads commercial strategy from the United States. I have spent the past several years introducing VBASE’s high-performance SPE base oils to European audiences through presentations at industry conferences, building awareness ahead of a formal market entry. Achieving EU REACH and UK REACH compliance across our full viscosity range has required sustained technical and regulatory work and having that foundation in place now lets us follow through on our early groundwork with a fully compliant, ready-to-use product line.
What can visitors expect at Booth 680, and why exhibit at Lubricant Expo Europe now?
This is our first time exhibiting at Lubricant Expo Europe. We want European formulators to have a direct opportunity to learn about the SPE line, including performance data across applications such as hydraulic oils, compressor oils, and fire-resistant fluids, and to meet the team leading our European growth.
VBASE is also competing this year in the Lubricant Component Innovation of the Year and Sustainability Innovation categories, and visitors can view our entry and cast a vote at the Innovation Awards Gallery.
Beyond the core SPE line, what else is VBASE bringing to European formulators?
We also offer VBASE SynBoost, a co-base oil technology. When used alongside a Group II base stock, SynBoost allows the resulting formulation to approach the viscometrics and performance of leading Group III base stocks. For European formulators managing Group III supply constraints, this is a technology worth discussing alongside our core SPE line.
In addition, our technical team works directly with customers throughout the formulation process, offering compatibility testing, characterization, and customized formulation support. Developing a new lubricant is a significant undertaking, and we make sure blenders, formulators, and OEMs get the full performance benefit of VBASE base oils in their own systems.
Looking ahead, where do you see European demand for SPE base oils heading?
Interest in biobased, biodegradable base oils continues to grow across Europe, driven by regulatory requirements and rising sustainability expectations from OEMs and end users. SPE base oils meet that demand as a new generation of high-performance base oils, engineered so formulators no longer have to choose between performance and environmental impact. It is the principle we have built the company around: all performance, no compromise.
Vbase Oil Company will be on stand 680 at Lubricant Expo Europe 2026
