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Shell Technology Centre
Shell Technology Centre is located in Cheshire
Shell Technology Centre
Location within Cheshire
Former namesShell Research Centre
General information
TypeAutomotive and Chemical Research Centre
AddressCheshire, CH2 4NU
Coordinates53°16′26″N 2°49′41″W / 53.274°N 2.828°W / 53.274; -2.828
Elevation90 m (295 ft)
ClientShell Research
OwnerRoyal Dutch Shell
Dimensions
Other dimensions66 acres

The Shell Technology Centre was a chemical research institute in northern Cheshire, near Stanlow, owned by Anglo-Dutch Shell.

History

The neighbouring oil refinery opened in 1949, although a smaller plant had been there since 1924.

In the 1950s it was one of three main Shell research sites in the UK, the others being in Kent and Buckinghamshire.

In 1962, Shell spent £25m on research, with 19 worldwide research centres, 8 in Europe, and 11 in the US. [1]

By the early 1960s Shell also had its Central Laboratories in Surrey (which opened in 1956), the Tunstall Laboratory, and Chemical Enzymology Laboratory at Sittingbourne in Kent Shell X-100 was Europe's top selling motor oil (lubrication).

North Sea oil was produced from 1975.

In the mid 1970s Shell had around 5,000 worldwide research staff. In 1975 it closed two of its four British research sites, and one in Delft in the Netherlands. The Surrey research site closed with its 430 employees, with its work transferred work to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Cheshire with the centre's 850 employees. Before the closures, Shell had 2080 employees at British research centres. The main Dutch research sites were at Amsterdam (Royal Shell Laboratory Amsterdam) and Rijswijk.[2]

Directors

From 1948 the Director was CG Williams. Sir Morris Sugden FRS was Director from 3 April 1967.

GG Rose was Director from December 1975.[3]

Closure

Shell closed its research centres in the UK in 2014, moving the research to Germany. Shell had sold the neighbouring oil refinery.

Research

The site was largely an automotive engineering research facility.[4]

In 1948 the site had 70 scientists. Work was carried out on direct fuel injection and butane-powered engines. Its scientists researched lubrication with the Ubbelohde viscometer. In 1949 Britain's first diesel train, with an English Electric engine, had Shell lubricating oil. Two-thirds of the lubricating oil made in UK was Shell, with Shell conducting £6m of research in 1949. The centre researched tyres, paint, textiles, and detergents. [5]

In the 1960s automotive companies from Europe would test automotive engines there.[6]

The site conducted work with British Leyland on pollution in the late 1960s, due to increasing legislation in the US, costing £100,000 a year, overlooked by Morris Sugden.[7] BP conducted similar research at its Sunbury Research Centre.

Structure

The site is 66 acres. It was situated north of the M56, north-west of junction 14, at the Hapsford services (a Shell services), to the north of the A5117. It is directly east of the large oil refinery, south of the neighbouring Hooton–Helsby line.

See also

References

  1. ^ Times Monday 5 March 1965, page 15
  2. ^ Times Friday 2 June 1972, page 19, "Research aan het IJ 1914 - 1989", page 231, nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Technology_Centre_Amsterdam.
  3. ^ Times Tuesday 5 August 1975, page 16
  4. ^ New Scientist 1972
  5. ^ Times Thursday January 27 1949, page 3
  6. ^ Times Testing the cars of tomorrow Tuesday 6 March 1962, page 15
  7. ^ Times Friday November 14 1969, page 22
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