NETHERLANDS: Shell begins commissioning process of Ellba SM/PO2 production plant

Shell has begun the process of commissioning its rebuilt styrene monomer/propylene oxide (SM/PO)-2 plant that was damaged in a 3 June 2014 explosion and fire at its site in Moerdijk, the Netherlands.

At the time of the incident, the facility, operated by Shell for its equally-owned Ellba joint venture with BASF, had 550,000 t/y of SM capacity and 250,000 t/y of PO capacity. It was reconstructed based on its original design. Production is expected to resume between the end of 2015 and March 2016.

The Moerdijk complex includes another unit with 450,000 t/y of SM and 210,000 t/y of PO capacity, as well as a 900,000-t/y ethylene and 500,000-t/y propylene steam cracker, a 500,000-t/y benzene extraction unit, a 115,000-t/y butadiene extraction unit, a 105,000-t/y butadiene hydrogenation facility, a 640,000-t/y ethyl benzene plant, a 155,000-t/y ethylene glycol unit, a 305,000-t/y ethylene oxide plant and a 750,000-t/y pygas hydrogenation unit.

Source: Weekly “PetroChemical News”, Durham, NC, USA; 28 Dec 2015
(Syed Rashid Ali, Karachi, Pakistan)