After nearly a decade of investment, the polyether polyols complex at Pernis in The Netherlands stands as one of the most advanced, integrated facilities in the world, equipped to respond to market growth and customers' changing needs.
The development of the complex has been based on advanced process technology, manufacturing integration and sustainability.
Significant capacity increases have been achieved by a combination of optimising existing assets and adding new plant infrastructure. “We have rationalised some assets while growing overall capacities by adding new units and applying advanced process control. This has maximised our competitiveness and enhanced the efficiency of our business in a tough, competitive market,” says Sonia Michiels, Global Business Manager Propylene Oxide and Derivatives (PO-D).
Strategic importance
The strategic importance of the site is a direct result of investments in propylene oxide (PO) capacity Shell has made at its adjacent Moerdijk petrochemicals facility.
“Access to secure supplies of PO, and careful management of the interaction between feedstock and derivative plants is critical for sustainable, competitive polyols production,” says Jean-Claude Vandichel, Special Projects Integrator for PO-D. “We have developed our capabilities at Pernis by leveraging a high level of integration.”
Customised solutions
A special unit installed at Pernis to remove VOCs (volatile organic compounds) formed as by-products during the production of flexible polyols, has helped to raise the quality of foam products.
The presence of VOCs can create an odour in finished foam which, although harmless, is perceived as undesirable in some consumer applications.
A range of products
The current investment programme began in 1999 and included a new rigid polyols plant, which doubled rigid polyol capacity at the site. The design of this plant represented a new concept in polyols production, delivering more control over processes plus greater ability to tailor base polyol grades for rigid foams used in applications like insulation, appliances and construction
The start-up of one of the largest polymer polyols plants in Europe followed in 2003 and marked an important development in this high growth sector. Polymer polyols are standard flexible polyols modified using polymer suspension technology, to produce harder, more durable and more comfortable foams.
Recent years have seen a shift to production of polymer polyol grades due to the significant increase in demand for higher performance foams for premium furniture, bedding and automotive applications. Polymer polyols deliver improved comfort at lower formulation cost, and now account for a significant portion all polyols sold globally, says Vandichel.
Unleashing potential
The latest expansion at Pernis sees the application of continuous process technology for producing flexible polyols and is a direct response to growth in key slabstock foam markets.
The expansion is based on making optimal use of existing assets. “We’re moving from a batch to continuous production process to deliver more capacity in the most efficient, sustainable way,” explains Vandichel. “This has the added advantage that the additional capacity can be brought on-stream in a relatively short time frame.”
The new capacity is expected to be in place by the second half of 2008. As a result, overall output of flexible polyols at the site will increase from 155 kilotonnes to 255 kilotonnes per year. “This will help to solve some of the capacity constraints in Europe while also strengthening our global supply position,” says Vandichel.
This feature was added to the Innovations section in December 2007
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