Shell begins operations at polymers plant in Pennsylvania

Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC, a subsidiary of Shell plc, has announced the beginning of operations at its Pennsylvania Chemical project, Shell Polymers Monaca (SPM).

The Pennsylvania facility is the first major polyethylene manufacturing complex in the northeastern United States and has a designed output of 1.6 million tonnes annually, the company said in a statement.

“Building this world-class facility is a fantastic achievement and one the team can be proud of; it’s a showcase of Shell’s project delivery expertise,” said Huibert Vigeveno, Shell Downstream Director.

“With great market access, innovative offers and connected infrastructure, Shell Polymers Monaca is well positioned and ready to serve customers with high-quality, competitive products.”

Strategically located within a 700-mile radius of 70 percent of the US polyethylene market, SPM sits on 384 acres adjacent to the Ohio River in Beaver County, Pennsylvania. The plant contracted most of its natural gas feedstock at Final Investment Decision from the nearby Utica and Marcellus basins, Shell said.

“I’m proud that in delivering this facility we’ve had a strong and innovative safety focus; invested in the community through employment and education; and helped repair and improve the local environment by remediating a brownfield site. These commitments are core to Shell’s Powering Progress strategy today and will remain so in the years to come,” Vigeveno said in a statement.

According to Shell, the advantages of proximity are not limited to production – SPM also offers customers shorter supply chains, which translates to increased flexibility and access to polyethylene pellets that can be used in a wide variety of products such as common household goods, consumer and food packaging, as well as industrial and utility products.

The start-up of Shell Polymers Monaca represents an important step in growing Shell’s chemicals business as part of its Powering Progress strategy, the company said. Shell is also increasingly participating in value chains closer to end-use customers and using advantaged feedstocks to deliver more high value products while reducing exposure to commodity chemicals over time.