Shell Moerdijk starts up MDU unit

Announced in 2022, construction of the Market Development Upgrader (MDU) at Shell Chemicals Park Moerdijk, the Netherlands, has now been completed. The new facility opened 8 Nov. enabling the chemicals complex to process circular raw materials at scale. The pyrolysis oil upgrader unit improves the quality of pyrolysis oil, i.e., the liquid resulting from the pyrolysis of hard-to-recycle plastic waste, and turns it into chemical feedstock for its plants.

While the preference is for waste plastic to be mechanically recycled, this is not always feasible. Packaging design or contamination from the contents of the pack are factors that can make mechanical recycling impossible.

These hurdles don’t count when it comes to chemical recycling using pyrolysis technology. However, there are other factors to take into account. During the process, plastic waste is heated to about 450 degrees Celsius until it melts, and the oxygen has been completely extracted. What remains is pyrolysis oil. In most cases, pyrolysis oil must be upgraded before it is suitable for adding to the cracker.

This is the role of the MDU: it purifies this oil so that it can serve as feedstock for the cracker at Moerdijk, from which chemicals and plastics can be made.

”Moerdijk is the first location within Shell to upgrade pyrolysis oil at scale," noted Richard Zwinkels, general manager of Shell Chemicals Park Moerdijk. "Chemical recycling supports the development of a truly circular system for plastic, similar to how societies collect and reuse empty glass bottles and wastepaper."

The opening of the MDU was attended by various government officials, including the Dutch Minister of Climate and Green Growth, Sophie Hermans.
"The industry plays a major role in the transition to a sustainable, circular economy,” says. “Shell's new plant will improve plastic recycling capabilities, reduce dependence on fossil 'feedstock' and stimulate innovation and green growth,” she said.

"We need these kinds of innovations for the transition to a circular plastic value chain,” added Dutch Environment Minister Chris Jansen “It's great to see the sector is taking another step today."

The Netherlands currently mechanically recycles around 46% of plastic waste. The rest is incinerated. The MDU installation at Shell Chemicals Park Moerdijk is helping to change that. Eventually, the MDU will be scaled up to full capacity and will handle up to 50 kilotons of pyrolysis oil per year. The amount is equal to what 2.5 million Dutch people produce in plastic waste annually.