Shell Catalysts & Technologies to Expand Louisiana Facility with $121.7m Investment

Shell Catalysts & Technologies has announced its decision to expand its facility in West Baton Rouge Parish at a cost of $121.7m, with a view to increasing production of high-performance catalysts that are used to generate less energy-intensive refining processes. The company's improvements to the flagship plant are expected to create 17 new direct jobs with an average annual salary of more than $94,000, while retaining 86 existing positions. Louisiana Economic Development has estimated the project will result in an additional 57 new indirect jobs, bringing the total to 74 new jobs in the Capital Region.

The Port Allen facility is currently the largest refining catalyst plant in the world and the expansion will allow the facility to increase manufacturing capacity by an additional 15,000 tons per year. Shell Catalysts & Technologies develops state-of-the-art products that are activated by lower amounts of heat, electricity, or steam, resulting in a reduced energy-intensive refining process.

Shell Catalyst & Technologies’ vice president, Elise H. Nowee, said, “Shell Catalysts & Technologies has a more than 13-year history of operation at Port Allen that has provided jobs for over a decade and made the site a world-class catalyst manufacturing facility. The company’s investment is another testament to our commitment to the state of Louisiana as a prime location for doing business.”

The state of Louisiana offered Shell Catalyst & Technologies a competitive incentives package including the comprehensive workforce development solutions of LED FastStart to secure the project in West Baton Rouge Parish. The company is also expected to participate in the state’s Enterprise Zone and Industrial Tax Exemption programs.

“For over a decade, Shell Catalyst & Technologies has called Port Allen its home,” said Anna Johnson, Executive Director of West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce. “When companies in Louisiana choose to expand here, it reaffirms our status as the best state to do business. Shell Catalyst & Technologies continues to surpass our community expectations, and this expansion is a key pillar of our long-term growth strategy.”

The installation of new equipment is anticipated in September 2024, with product qualification finishing in December 2024.