"We are pleased that the first commercial scale plant employing the Shell-Zimmer PTT process produced the designed product quality", said Stanley Park, vice president of PDO/PTT for Shell Chemical LP. "There hasn't been a new polymer commercially available for fiber applications in 40 years. This is the first world-scale production of an exciting new material called "CORTERRA TM Polymer." Located in the industrial zone of Montreal, the new plant has a capacity of 95,000 metric tons a year of polymer. Its output is primarily targeted for the carpet and textile market. Construction of the plant began in May 2002, was mechanically complete May 2004 and has been in combined commissioning and start-up phase. "After much hard work we are pleased to see that we have moved into production phase and are producing high quality product for our customers", said Claude Bilodeau, general manager of the plant. The plant provides about 100 direct and indirect jobs and created 1,000 jobs during the construction phase. The primary feedstocks for PTT polymer are 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and purified terephthalic acid (PTA). The PTT polyesters were first patented in 1941, but it was not until the PDO process development in the 1990s that they were first produced economically and commercialized as CORTERRA Polymers.
Notes to Editors
* The Société générale de financement du Québec (SGF) implements economic development projects in cooperation with partners under normal profit conditions. **CORTERRA (TM) Polymers is a registered trademark of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of companies for the polymer used to make fibers. Neither Shell Chemical LP nor PTT Poly Canada LP manufactures CORTERRA fiber or carpet, only the polymer used by its customers to make such fiber and carpet. ***PDO-the commercialization of 1,3-propanediol (PDO) and the CORTERRA Polymers (polytrimethylene terephthalate--PTT) made from it, were the result of an important process breakthrough by Shell. The proprietary method that results from this breakthrough -based on continuous ethylene oxide (EO) hydroformylation-allowed PDO to be produced cost-effectively for the first time. Media Relations: 713-241-4544
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