The Shell Petrochemical Plant located in Beaver County is playing a part in sales talks. Shell is exploring potentially selling its chemical assets in Europe and the U.S., including the $15 billion petrochemical complex in Beaver County. Any potential buyer is still currently unknown.

Shell’s process of selling these chemical assets is still in its early stages as part of Shell’s “strategic review of its chemical operations.” Many facilities of this nature are part of this potential sales review, including another Potter Township plant located on the Ohio River, less than a quarter of a mile away from the Shell plant.

Potential buyers of the plant could be private equity firms, other U.S. facilities, or Middle Eastern buyers who want to expand further in the West.

The Beaver County plant began partial operations in 2022 and has had multiple lawsuits regarding over-burning and air pollution to surrounding communities. The facility turns ethane from shale gas into plastic pellets, a process that releases volatile organic compounds.

Shell agreed to pay $10 million in fines and community funds to resolve its over-pollution less than a year after the facility’s opening.

Community concerns center around the implications of this sale, especially in terms of pollution and potential for future reparations for a new buyer. No final sales or potential buyers have been named for the Beaver County facility at this time.