Shell shuts shop

Shell Chemicals is to close its polyols and ethoxylates units at Carrington, Manchester in the summer of 2007 in a move aimed at improving the cost competitiveness of its businesses.

The production of polyols will transfer to the polyols facility at the Shell Pernis manufacturing complex in Rotterdam, which will be upgraded to take on the additional capacity. Ethoxylates production will move to the Shell facility at Wilton, near Redcar on Teesside.

The transfer of activities to these sites will be phased from mid-2006 until the closure of the Carrington units.

The move will have minimal impact on supply of the core products currently received from Carrington. Customers who receive the products will be supplied from Pernis and Wilton in future.

The two Carrington units are operated by Basell.