The energy industry is collaborative by nature. In fact, producing and delivering the most efficient, effective, and valuable energy-related process technologies can be a more complex endeavour than many in our business fully appreciate. Part of that misunderstanding may stem from lack of awareness that even within the Shell group, companies under the Shell Catalysts & Technologies brand collaborate on many levels -- especially with third-parties, to fill gaps in technology, including some that may be present in other energy companies. These collaborations, however, help us develop the most progressive, highest-quality process technologies for our customers in industrial processing plants across the globe.

The Value of Third-Party Collaborations

I personally believe that good communication that leads to industry innovation requires forward-thinking strategic planning and patience, trust, and persistence. These interactions can deliver unprecedented win-win dynamics. Putting the world’s best minds together to achieve a shared goal is enhanced when they can innovate in broader, more complex environments where unexpected breakthroughs and game-changing ideas -- that may never have existed otherwise -- are born.

For example, Shell Catalysts & Technologies has worked with customers to develop technologies that clean the gas from many fields, several of which are very sour in nature. The ability to work with others and deploy technology into even more varied environments helps Shell Catalysts & Technologies to further develop the capabilities of these key technologies. Our ADIP technology for removing CO₂ and COS from natural gas has been around since the 1950s and has been improved in stages over the years. In 2017, our latest variant, ADIP-ULTRA, was launched; this variant now can achieve the same product specifications but with 30% lower capital costs and 30% lower energy consumption in the regenerator. These advances are accelerated and improved through learnings gained from each deployment and are continuously re-integrated into the technology offerings, benefitting the customer community.

Collaboration as a Brand Value

Shell Catalysts & Technologies works collaboratively to bring customers ideas for progressive technologies and to deploy technologies in new applications, and push the boundaries of existing applications through innovative thinking. Providing customers with tangible gains and value is truly satisfying and fills us with a sense of accomplishment.

Collaboration, after all, is about people working -- and succeeding -- together. Finding ways to advance our industry and empower our customers to adapt and align with the future of energy is paramount to our work culture. This requires a cooperative mindset and open sensibility. In fact, at Shell Catalysts & Technologies, we operate in a very outward-looking part of Shell’s Projects & Technology organization that attracts customer-centric people.

In general, the people working under the Shell Catalysts & Technologies brand tend to be energetic, outgoing, and mindful people. We seek to extract the most value and fun out of everything we do. This spirit of service, discovery, and teamwork permeates every aspect of our operations and innovations. We believe that people are the core of technology and that technology is a key differentiator for a safe, reliable, and cost-effective energy industry.

For more than a century our operational experiences and R&D initiatives at Shell, driven by collaborations, have benefitted our customers across the world. By continuing to collaborate, we can confidently focus on enabling our customers to produce more and cleaner energy solutions for today and into the future.

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