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Shell has today announced that it has taken the final investment decision to build a major new unit at the Pernis refinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The solvent deasphalter (SDA) unit will remove heavier fractions from crude oil, allowing the refinery to upgrade a larger proportion of its oil intake into lighter, high-grade products.

In a statement, Lori Ryerkerk, Executive Vice President for Shell's global Manufacturing business, said: "This important investment demonstrates our ongoing commitment to refining. The Pernis refinery plays a key role in the European market and this modern and innovative unit will further improve its performance and competitiveness."

Construction work is planned to start next year, subject to permit approvals, with completion expected by the end of 2018. The new unit will not change the refinery's total processing capacity, but will allow a different product mix. Some existing units will require modifications in order to integrate with the new SDA unit.

Shell Pernis is the largest integrated refinery complex in Europe and occupies a strategic location in the Rotterdam industrial region.

"The SDA unit will give the refinery more flexibility to respond to market developments and reduce the environmental footprint of its products. The investment strengthens Shell Pernis' position as an important contributor to the Dutch economy and as one of the largest employers in the Rotterdam port area," Shell added.

Solvent Deasphalting

In the solvent deasphalting process, an alkane is injected into the feedstock to disrupt the dispersion of components and causes the polar constituents to precipitate.

A solvent deasphalting unit separates the asphalt from the feedstock; it processes the residuum from the vacuum distillation unit and produces deasphalted oil (DAO), used as feedstock for a fluid catalytic cracking unit, and the asphaltic residue (deasphalter tar, deasphalter bottoms) which, as a residual fraction, can only be used to produce asphalt or as a blend stock or visbreaker feedstock for low-grade fuel oil.

Solvent deasphalting allows removal of sulphur and nitrogen compounds as well as metallic constituents by balancing yield with the desired feedstock properties.