Shell Nederland Chemie NV plans a $53 million project to install a propene splitter and expand an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) plant at its Pernis petrochemical site near Rotterdam.
The project will increase propene production capacity at Pernis to 230,000 metric tons/year from 140,000 metric tons/year. Feedstock will come from the Pernis refinery.
IPA production will be boosted at an existing plant, allowing an older IPA unit to be shut down. Total IPA production capacity will remain un-changed.
Construction is scheduled to begin in August.
An 80 m tall, 5 m diameter, distilling column will be moved to the site early in 1995 and erected. The new propene and IPA production plants are to be operational by the end of 1995.
Shell said the new propene Splitter will reduce emissions. The existing unit has four distilling columns.
A large vapor recompressor fitted to the new propene plant will enable the process to operate without heating, therefore saving in cooling water consumption.
Closure of the old IPA plant will allow discontinuation of a liquid acid process, again reducing emissions to atmosphere.
Last year Shell announced a $2 billion project at the 400,000 b/d Pernis refinery to upgrade the product mix and improve emissions control (OGJ, Jan. 25, 1993, p. 40).
Shell plans to install a new hydro-cracker and oil gasification plant ready to begin operation in 1997.
A Shell official said the company is still applying for permits to carry out the work.
The company hopes approvals will be received in April or May. Site clearance is under way.
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