Powering progress in Asia Pacific

Powering progress in Asia Pacific

The Park houses a world-class ethylene cracker complex (up to a million tonnes per annum), a butadiene extraction unit (155,000 tonnes per annum) and is integrated with one of the world’s largest mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) plants at Shell’s petrochemical site at Jurong Island to supply energy and advanced chemical products to meet the growing needs of customers in the region and beyond. The site also produces base oils, which is sent to Shell’s Tuas lubricants plant. Bitumen produced on Bukom, along with lubricants produced from base oils, are supplied to China and across South-east Asia.

Lowering our own and customers’ emissions

Lowering our own and customers’ emissions

Circular chemicals

We are building Shell’s first pyrolysis oil upgrader unit, the biggest in Asia, with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes per annum (tpa). Slated to start production in 2023, the unit treats pyrolysis oil, made from waste plastics, which will be used as raw material for the ethylene cracker complex. The pyrolysis oil is used to produce circular chemicals that customers increasingly want for use in hundreds of useful, everyday products, from tyres to mattresses.

Shell’s ambition is to annually process one million tonnes a year of plastic waste globally by 2025, or equivalent to 69,000 double decker buses in Singapore.

Biofuels

A 550,000 tpa biofuels facility is being explored, where hydrogen made from renewable resources and bio-feedstock, such as used cooking oils and animal fats, is turned into low-carbon fuels, such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel for road transport. Once operational, it will be one of Asia’s largest biofuels facilities, allowing Shell to provide SAF to customers in Asia and worldwide.

This is in line with Shell’s ambition to produce around 2 million tonnes of SAF a year by 2025 and have at least 10% of its global aviation fuels sales as SAF by 2030.

Singapore’s first fully-electric ferry

Singapore’s first fully-electric ferry

‘Penguin Refresh’ is the first of three fully-electric harbour craft that will ply the route between mainland Singapore and the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore from May 2023.

These 200-seater ferries will transport 3,000 passengers daily or an estimated 1.8 million passenger trips annually. They will save 6,258 tonnes of CO2 emissions as well as 1,952 tonnes of fuel per year for Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will work with Shell to make our charging facilities for the ferries at Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore available for other electric harbour craft users. Shell is also exploring the feasibility of expanding the shore charging infrastructure to serve as an electrification hub for harbour craft in Singapore.

Developing digital talent and capability

Developing digital talent and capability

We are combining human capabilities with advanced digital technology, to transform the way we work. As the first Shell site in the world to deploy digital twin technology, we enable our engineers to visualise our complex plant using AR and VR technology, putting live data at their fingertips. When troubleshooting an issue, various options can be tested in real-time on the virtual platform, before deciding on a solution. This improves operational efficiency, prevents downtime, reduces maintenance costs and allows effective real time collaboration between experts and operators. By 2025, all critical field operations at Shell Bukom will be performed on tablets.

Bukom Biodiversity

Biodiversity in Bukom’s backyard

Did you know the cluster of mangrove trees around Shell Energy and Chemical Parks Singapore’s waters supports a thriving habitat for Grey Herons and a diverse marine ecosystem?

As part of our Respecting Nature programme, two biodiversity watch groups monitor and protect the flora and fauna at Pulau Anak (on the north of Pulau Bukom) with the National Parks Board (NParks). We also share data and information with NParks as part of the Citizen Science Programme, which helps the nation’s biodiversity decision makers formulate conservation plans.

Located beside our refinery, Anak is a safe harbour for migratory birds like Herons and are home to octopi, corals, myriad crustaceans. Even blacktip reef sharks have been spotted here.

Here’s an little known fact: Plants around the Shell Energy and Chemicals Park Singapore, such as the mangroves and seagrass habitats, can trap carbon in soil and underwater sediments in and around their roots, stem and leaves – even more than rainforests according to a local university study.

 

 

Key Projects

Digital Twin

Digital Twin

In 2020, Bukom piloted a new Digital Twin technology. Upon achieving full completion in 2024, the Digital Twin will be a complete virtual representation of the physical elements on Pulau Bukom Manufacturing Site and be able to respond dynamically to conditions based on data from over 20 different technology platforms. The power of the Digital Twin lies in its visual, data and analytics capabilities. When fully implemented, live information of the plant operations can be provided to engineers via augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), thereby reducing the need to step into the plant. When troubleshooting an issue, various options can be tested in real-time on the virtual platform, before deciding on a solution. This improves operational efficiency, preventing downtime, reducing maintenance costs and allows effective real time collaboration between experts and operators. By 2025, all critical field operations at the site will be performed through tablets.

Read more about the Digital Twin

Storage Expansion

Bukom refinery in Singapore

Storage Expansion

In June 2019, Shell increased storage capacity at its Bukom refinery in Singapore by building two large crude oil tanks that increase the site’s storage capacity by nearly 1.3 million barrels. The project is part of Shell’s ongoing effort to improve competitiveness by investing in storage and logistics at its core refineries. Increased storage capacity at Bukom gives Shell greater flexibility to optimise its oil trading activities, helping us to provide products to our customers more efficiently and profitably.

Shell built the storage tanks using an automated welding technology, which helped reduce welding time by 60% and lowered costs. A special aluminum alloy used in the tank roofs provides better protection against severe weather, such as lightning, and will help prevent common maintenance issues like rust and corrosion. Shell also used a new method to lift, move and install heavy materials when building the tanks, which helped keep employees safe during construction by reducing the need to work at heights and to carry out heavy lifting.

Read more about the Bukom refinery storage expansion

HDS Plant

Hydro Desulphurisation (HDS) plant

Hydro Desulphurisation (HDS) Plant

Completed in April 2013, the plant equips Bukom with enough hydro-treating capability to desulphurise all the gasoil the refinery produces. It will also allow it to process more sour crudes from the Middle East and sustain maximum primary distillation feed needed for the Ethylene Cracker.

SCOT Unit

Shell Claus Off-gas Treating (SCOT) unit

Shell Claus Off-Gas Treating (SCOT) Unit

Completed in May 2012, the SCOT unit significantly improves the site’s sulphur recovery rate to more than 99.5%, well above the typical sulphur recovery rate. With very low SO2 emissions, it also enables Bukom to meet future reduced SO2 emission limits.

Read more about Claus Off-Gas Treating Unit

SEPC

Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex (SEPC)

Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex (SEPC)

In May 2010, Shell completed the Shell Eastern Petrochemicals Complex (SEPC) project – its largest petrochemicals investment to date, creating Shell’s largest, fully-integrated refinery and petrochemicals hub across Bukom and Jurong Islands. The investment reinforces Shell’s intention to remain a leading player in the expanding Asian petrochemicals market.

The SEPC project included a new ethylene cracker complex and modifications to the Pulau Bukom refinery, and a world-scale mono-ethylene glycol (MEG) plant on Jurong Island.

Read more about the Shell Eastern Petrochemicals complex

Awards and Recognition

Shell is recognised for its good record in safety, social performance and social investment programmes, and commitment to sustainable development.

Read about the awards and recognition

More in Projects and Sites

Shell Jurong Island

Singapore is Shell’s largest petrochemical production and export centre in the Asia Pacific region. Shell Jurong Island manufactures chemical intermediates to meet the strong and fast-growing demand for these products in the region and beyond.

Shell Marine Terminals in Singapore

Shell owns and operates two marine terminals in Singapore.

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