Shell unveiled its newly expanded and upgraded lubricant blending plant site with a doubled annual capacity of 400 million liters at Zhapu, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday.

The company started this newest expansion in late 2011, and commercial operations will start by the end of the year.

The facility will become the largest lubricant blending plant in Shell's China network, playing a key role in serving customers in Central China.

"This is another milestone in Shell's business development in China and the latest evidence of our commitment to China, most especially in the Zhejiang province," said Mark Gainsborough, executive vice-president of Shell Global Commercial.

Zhapu is a strategic location for Shell due to its proximity to the industrial heart of the country in Central China.

The location also offers a mature infrastructure, which gives Shell better access to key customers including original equipment manufacturers based in the region, the company said.

The new expansion was built on newly acquired land adjacent to the existing plant. It is designed as a highly efficient plant, able to handle a high volume of products, according to the company.