There are a large number of factories on the Shell Moerdijk business park. In these factories, basic chemicals are manufactured using complex processes that originate in petroleum.
A large proportion of the basic products for the processes are supplied via underground pipelines from Shell Pernis. These are processed in the ‘heart’ of Moerdijk: the ‘cracker’ (the ethylene factory).
In the cracker, large molecules coming from Pernis are ‘chopped’ into smaller molecules by a chemical process. Subsequently, the products that come out of this will go to the other factories on Moerdijk, via pipelines back to Pernis or to customers for further processing.
Did you know that…
The total surface area of Shell Moerdijk is 325 hectares, of which 250 hectares are within the fence and of which 175 are built
Total capacity 4.5 million tonnes of product per year (including by-products)
There are 1,300 employees on site every day: 800 from Shell and 500 from contractors
Half of the raw materials arrive by pipeline (mostly from and to Pernis), 45 percent arrive by ship and the remaining 5 percent by train and road transport (tankers).