Overview
Shell Said Yes to PA.
On June 7, 2016, Royal Dutch Shell announced it was building a $6 billion chemical plant in Beaver County, located in western Pennsylvania. Four years in the making, this project was the result of the collective efforts between the Governor’s Action Team and two administrations working with Shell to reach the final decision. This game-changing plant will create thousands of jobs in Pennsylvania while expanding and creating market opportunities for downstream manufacturing and job creation.
Photos
Why PA?
Shell chose Pennsylvania due to three critical factors:
Abundant ethane.
With the largest unconventional gas play in the world by production, Pennsylvania has an abundance of natural gas resources. Our production reached nearly 5.5 trillion cubic feet in 2017, making Pennsylvania the second-largest natural gas producer for 5 straight years. Southwestern Pennsylvania’s shale natural gas resources contain high levels of ethane, a natural gas liquid (NGL) that Shell’s new plant will use to produce ethylene — a main feedstock for the plastics industry.
Proximity to 70% of their North American polyethylene customers.
Shell determined that 70% of their potential North American polyethylene customers lie within a 700-mile radius of their site in Beaver County, PA. Pennsylvania’s central Northeastern location is one of our strongest assets, placing companies within 500 miles of nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population, 60 percent of the Canadian population, and 4 of the 10 largest U.S. markets.
Intensive collaboration between state, regional, and local entities.
Shell’s decision to invest in Pennsylvania is a testament not only to our abundant ethane resources and proximity to key markets, but also to our government partnerships. Over a four-year period, various Pennsylvania entities across multiple administrations — including the PA Department of Community & Economic Development, the Governor’s Action Team, the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance, and local officials in Southwestern Pennsylvania — teamed up to work with Shell to finalize plans for this facility.
Impact
6,000 Construction Jobs | 600 Full-Time Permanent Jobs
Shell’s petrochemical plant will be located on a strategic site on the Ohio River in Beaver County in Western Pennsylvania. The project is projected to employ upwards of 6,000 during peak construction and is committed to 600 full-time positions in the future. The plant will process ethane into polyethylene for the plastics industry. This feedstock will be transported in pellet form to manufacturers prepared to transform them into a variety of plastics-based products including windows, siding, insulation, food packaging, diapers, adhesives, coatings, and more.
Community Preparation & Dialogue
To examine the anticipated long-term impact on surrounding communities and local governments, as well as across the state, the Department of Community and Economic Development’s Secretary Dennis Davin hosted a series of roundtable discussions with state and community leaders and business representatives to discuss how communities can leverage potential investments and development opportunities related to Royal Dutch Shell’s decision to build a new ethane cracker plant.
Workforce
Pennsylvania has worked to ensure that our workforce is prepared to take advantage of the new opportunities the energy industry has presented in the last decade by creating quality workforce training programs and university collaborations that help current and new workers expand their skillsets.
According to Shell, future jobs at the plant will fall into three main categories:
Maintenance workers:
welders and machine operators- job-specific trainingOperations workers:
two-year associates degree in process technologyManagement workers:
four-year or graduate degree in chemical engineeringIn the interim before the plant reaches full operation, programs like the ones below will help prepare our workers for the unique requirements of the new plant.
In the News
Since the final investment decision was announced in June 2016, development at the Shell site has continued to create media buzz. Check out a few of the headlines that have graced the pages of publications in the commonwealth and beyond.
Latest News
- Shell Polymers’ Support to Boost Plastics Education at Penn College
- August 28, 2018 | PCToday - Ethane is about to crack in Appalachia. Now it needs a market
- July 20, 2018 | E&E; News - Pittsburgh Airport Gears Up for Development
- July 9, 2018 | The Business Journal - Shell hiring 40 production operators for cracker plant
- May 22, 2018 | The Times - Shell cracker plant looking to hire military veterans
- May 22, 2018 | Trib Live - Potter’s cracker plant at center of Shell’s return to plastics
- May 17, 2018 | The Times - Cracker plant progress
- April 24, 2018 | The Times - As Construction Scales Up On Cracker Plant, More Skilled Workers Need To Be Trained
- April 5, 2018 | 2 CBS Pittsburgh - Shell launches jobs website for Beaver County cracker plant project
- December 1, 2017 | The Times - Shell officially starts construction on $6 billion ethane cracker plant
- November 8, 2017 | The Times - Shell donates $150,000 to the Community College of Beaver County
- December 20, 2016 | The Times - Beaver County residents ready to fill thousands of Shell cracker plant jobs
- November 17, 2016 | Ellwood City Ledger - Shell Pipeline holds open season for PA cracker line
– October 18, 2016 | Kallanish Energy - Shell Ethane Cracker Application: Construction May Start in 2016!
– October 17, 2016 | Marcellus Drilling News - Plans for Shell site revealed in land development application to Potter, county planning commissions
– October 12, 2016 | The Times - Ben Franklin’s SGICC Releases White Paper on How to Take Advantage of the Development of a Petrochemical Complex in Our Own Backyard!
– October 12, 2016 | Business Wire - Pittsburgh real estate firm buys former GlaxoSmithKline headquarters in Moon
– September 27, 2016 | The Times - Shell Buys Former PGT Trucking Headquarters for $12.5 Million
– September 6, 2016 | The Times - Shell plans cuts, new plant near Pittsburgh
– June 7, 2016 | USA Today - Shell cracker plant in Beaver County to provide 600 jobs when it opens
– June 7, 2016 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Shell moves ahead with ethane cracker in Beaver County
– June 7, 2016 | TribuneReview - Cracker decision: 'Next era' to begin in western Pennsylvania
– June 7, 2016 | Pittsburgh Business Times - Shell to build ethane cracker plant in Beaver County, PA
– June 7, 2016 | Ohio.com - Shell greenlights Pennsylvania cracker project
– June 7, 2016 | Hydrocarbon Processing
- Shell Polymers’ Support to Boost Plastics Education at Penn College
Blog Posts
- Shell said “Yes” to Pennsylvania. What comes next?
– August 29, 2016 - Shell Cracker Plant a “Game –Changer” for Pennsylvania’s Economy
– June 9, 2016 - Governor Wolf Announces Finalized Plan for Royal Dutch Shell Plant in Western PA
– June 9, 2016
- Shell said “Yes” to Pennsylvania. What comes next?
DCED Press Announcements
- Wolf Administration Hosts Roundtable in Mid-Mon Valley to Discuss New Shell Plant Opportunities and Community Preparation
– November 21, 2016 - Governor Wolf Tours Shell Plant Site in Beaver County, Commends Company’s Continued Progress and Job Creation
– November 14, 2016 - Wolf Administration Hosts Roundtable in Greene County to Discuss New Shell Plant Opportunities and Community Preparation
– September 30, 2016 - Governor Wolf Announces $2 Million Grant for Pitt-Johnstown Engineering Facilities
– September 2, 2016 - DCED Secretary Davin Hosts Roundtable in Washington County to Discuss New Shell Plant Opportunities and Community Preparation
– August 24, 2016 - DCED Secretary Davin Hosts Roundtable in Beaver County to Discuss New Shell Plant Opportunities and Community Preparation
– August 23, 2016 - DCED Secretary Davin Hosts Roundtable in Lawrence County to Discuss New Shell Plant Opportunities and Community Preparation
– August 22, 2016 - Governor Wolf, Corbett, Legislators, Stakeholders Host Roundtable to Discuss Economic Impact of New Shell Plant
– July 22, 2016 - Governor Wolf Announces Shell Cracker Plant Coming to Pennsylvania
– June 7, 2016
- Wolf Administration Hosts Roundtable in Mid-Mon Valley to Discuss New Shell Plant Opportunities and Community Preparation