Cracker

Pennsylvania will soon release a study it commissioned that shows the Appalachian Basin is uniquely positioned to compete in the global petrochemicals market, with enough ethane available to support up to four more ethane crackers in addition to Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC’s planned facility.

FirstEnergy Corp. wrapped-up its clearing and demolition work last week in Belmont County, OH, at the 150-acre site of a former coal-fired power plant, finishing another step to ready part of the land that could one day be home to PTT Global Chemical pcl’s (PTTGC) proposed ethane cracker.

The plastics company that became the first to announce a significant investment in Western Pennsylvania shortly after Royal Dutch Shell plc said it would construct a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker there is soon expected to begin production.

Royal Dutch Shell plc has purchased more land for the multi-billion dollar ethane cracker it plans to construct in Western Pennsylvania. The company closed on a 110-acre site in Center Township and a smaller parcel in nearby Potter Township for $5.5 million. The land would be utilized as a “green belt” for the plant, according to the company, and add a buffer near a shopping mall and other roads and buildings. The cracker is planned for a 400-acre site in Beaver County, about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh (see Shale Daily, June 7). It would have the capacity to process a little more than 100,000 b/d of ethane. Production of ethylene and polyethylene at the facility is expected to begin sometime in the early 2020s.

An affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell plc started acquiring rights-of-way this month for a 94-mile ethane transport system that would feed the company’s proposed multi-billion dollar cracker in Western Pennsylvania.

An affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell plc started acquiring rights-of-way this month for a 94-mile ethane transport system that would feed the company’s proposed multi-billion dollar cracker in Western Pennsylvania.

The final major structures at the site of FirstEnergy Corp.’s former coal-fired R.E. Burger Power Plant in Belmont County, OH, were demolished and cleared on Friday as part of work to prepare the location for PTT Global Chemical pcl’s (PTTGC) proposed ethane cracker. The plant’s 854-foot stack was demolished on Friday. The site sits along the Ohio River. According to local news media reports, traffic was restricted on both sides of the river in Ohio and West Virginia, with Ohio setting up a two-mile buffer zone to protect motorists and pedestrians from any debris caused by the demolition. West Virginia’s Marshall County also set up viewing areas for the public to watch the work. Boilers were set to be cleared off the site as well. After a two year search, PTTGC selected the 150-acre site and another 350-acre plot nearby for the cracker. Ohio officials said at an industry conference in Pittsburgh in June that the company filed key air and water permits in May and June (see Shale Daily,June 27). The site preparation work is expected to be complete this fall (see Shale Daily,Jan. 8). PTTGC has said it expects to make a final investment decision about the facility by next year.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf visited Pittsburgh on Friday to meet with lawmakers, business leaders and other stakeholders, as his administration begins to escalate its role in helping to fortify the economic development that’s expected to stem from Royal Dutch Shell plc’s decision to build a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker in the state.

A unit of Royal Dutch Shell plc decided to proceed with a multi-billion dollar ethane cracker in Western Pennsylvania for three primary reasons: cost-advantaged feedstock, market proximity and strong local support, one of the project’s leading executives said Tuesday.