Shell on Thursday said it is pausing its recall of construction workers at its polyethylene (PE) project in Monaca, Pennsylvania amid a surging number of COVID-19 infections in the area. Shell did not specify whether the pause would delay the project’s expected start-up. It said previously that the PE site would begin operations in the early 2020s.
Shell suspended work at the site on March 18 due to the pandemic. However, the suspension just lasted for several days. Shell recalled 300 workers who perform crucial maintenance and preservation work at the project. It has also gradually recalled other workers since mid-April until reaching 3,500-3,700 recently.
According to Shell Business Integration Lead Michael Marr, Shell PE Pennsylvania project can involve up to 8,000 on-site workers. However, the company will not add more workers at the site, unless it is comfortable that it has health protocols in place to prevent the disease from spreading at the site, Marr said. So far, there have been 17 COVID-19 cases at the site.
Shell’s Pennsylvania PE project includes a 1.5 million tons/year cracker and three downstream polyethylene (PE) units with a total capacity of 1.6 million tons/year.
