16 April 2013
Details
Shell has taken a final investment decision to
build a new petrochemicals production units
on Jurong Island, Singapore
to supply customers in the region and
to boost its footprint in the Asian growing Chemical Industry.
The investments include
1. A high-purity ethylene oxide (HPEO)
purification column with an initial capacity of
140,000 tonnes per annum (tpa).
Shell's existing capacity for HPEO is 65,000 tpa.
Feestock for the new HPEO plant wil come from
Shell's world class ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol plant
on Jurong Island which is integrated with
Shell's ethylene cracker through its
largest fully-owned refinery on Pulau Bukom.
2.two world scale ethoxylation units with
a combined capacity of
140,000 tonnes per annum (tpa).
Shell's existing capacity for ethoxylates is 40,000 tpa.
The new capacity for HPEO and ethoxylates will add to
Shell's existing capacities from
the company's 2010 acquisition of its partner's shares in
Ethylene Glycols (Singapore) Private Limited
The new investments will also include pipeline grid.
The pipelines will deliver HPEO to
new and over-the-fence customers.
3. the upgrading of Shell's polyol production facility,
announced in February 2013.
Growth of Alcohol Ethoxylates in Asia
* The demand for alcohol ethoxylates
in Asia is expected to
increase at the rate of 6-7 % annually
over the next five years.
* Growth is driven by consumers from
laundry powder and soap bars to
liquid detergents and liquid soaps
* especially in major markets like
China, India and South-east Asia.
Uses and Applications
HPEO ,
derived from Ethylene Oxide,
is used in a wide range of
household and industrial applications.
HPEO's largest use is ethoxylation industry
which process HPEO and Alcohol into
Alcohol Ethoxylates which are key ingredients for
* detergents and
* personal care items like shampoo and bodywash.
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