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Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex (SEPC)

The Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex (SEPC) is Shell’s largest ever petrochemicals investment and reinforces our ambition to maintain a leading position in the expanding Asian petrochemicals market.

Key facts

Key facts: Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex
Location:	Pulau Bukom and Jurong Island, Singapore
Category:	Fully integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex
Interest:	Shell 100%
Production:	800,000 tpa ethylene, 750,000 tpa Mono-ethylene glycol 155,000 tpa butadiene, 450,000 tpa propylene 230,000 tpa benzene
Key contractors:	Foster Wheeler, ABBLummus/Toyo

Project scope

The MEG plant is one of the largest in the world.

The SEPC is Shell’s largest fully-integrated refinery and petrochemicals hub. The 100% Shell-owned facility comprises an 800,000-tonnes-a-year ethylene cracker and butadiene extraction unit, Bukom Island, and a 750,000 tonnes-a-year MEG plant, Jurong Island. Shell is modifying the existing refinery at Bukom to enable it to produce feedstock for the new ethylene cracker.

Project timescale

Construction work on the SEPC began in October 2006. The MEG plant started up as planned in November 2009. The ethylene cracker started on March 22, 2010. The complex was officially fully online on May 4, 2010.

Integration benefits

The ethylene cracker project alone has used 15,500 tonnes of steel – more than enough to build two E

Singapore is already Shell’s largest petrochemical production and export centre in the Asia-Pacific region. SEPC is strategically located to take advantage of existing infrastructure and to ensure that maximum economic and efficiency benefits – such as feedstock flexibility and synergies of operations and logistics – are achieved by integrating the petrochemical site with the Bukom refinery.

Markets

Aerial of the Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex

The ethylene cracker produces petrochemical feedstocks primarily for downstream chemical plants located on Jurong Island, including the Shell MEG plant. The feedstocks will support the growth and diversification of Singapore’s chemicals cluster.
MEG is a raw material for textile and packaging. Asia currently accounts for around 70% of global MEG consumption and much of the new capacity is destined for China where demand continues to grow.

Technology

The MEG plant uses the Shell award-winning OMEGA processing technology. OMEGA gives the highest commercial yields of MEG from ethylene and capital and production costs are lower. OMEGA plants consume less steam and produce less wastewater than traditional MEG plants.

Environment and society

Shell has worked with the Singapore government and other local authorities to ensure all relevant social and environmental standards are met.

The Singapore government reclaimed land for the project using a method that limited silt and damage to corals near the reclamation area. It supports the SEPC by providing land, labour, infrastructure and training. At the peak of its construction the project employed more than 15,000 people from over 20 countries.

The majority of products are transported by existing undersea pipelines. The project uses recycled water and all by-products are returned to the adjacent Bukom refinery. Air and water quality remain within permitted limits.