Shell increases production with expansion of its Port Allen plant

Petrotahlil - Shell Catalysts & Technologies (SC&T) has successfully completed the expansion of its Port Allen, Louisiana plant in the US, doubling its capacity to produce precipitated alumina powder. The Port Allen Precipitated Alumina (PAPA) plant capacity expansion project is part of the SC&T strategy to meet growth demands in the residue and gasoil hydroprocessing markets.

This expansion will allow the PAPA plant to increase powder supply to its world scale catalyst plant, located at the Port Allen facility. In addition, the PAPA plant will also supply powder to the other Shell catalyst plants globally.

The PAPA plant expansion project includes increasing the capacity of existing equipment combined with the addition of several new major pieces of processing equipment. Energy efficient alternatives and reliability improvements have been incorporated into the new equipment design to reduce fixed and variable costs associated with powder production.

Embedding safety in the plant design was a key part of the project. The SC&T team designed and laid out equipment so that safety risks were mitigated. The layout and design were also carefully developed so that the process equipment will be reliable and ready to allow for a safe commissioning and start up. The new plant also incorporates advanced industry technologies for efficient operation.

“SC&T is constantly looking to the future as energy demands increase, and as a premier catalyst provider, prepared to meet those demands,” said Darylene Harris, site general manager for the Port Allen Plant. “With the PAPA addition SC&T will now be a net exporter of powder."

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