The Catalyst Review April 2024 - 16

Movers & Shakers
Dr. Trevor Zuroff
New Business Development Manager, Shell Catalysts & Technologies, Houston, TX
Trevor earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University where he studied
renewable fuels production sponsored by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research
Fellowship. Prior to receiving his doctorate, Trevor earned a B.Sc. in Chemical Engineering from
Montana State University.
Since joining Shell in 2014, he has worked in a variety of business development, product development
and project management roles. The common thread throughout Trevor's career has been energyrelated
innovation, and his current role is no different. As a New Business Development (NBD) Manager,
Trevor is engaged both internally and with external partners to identify, mature and commercialize
innovative technologies that enable Shell's Powering Progress strategy and meet the needs of its
customers, especially in their journey to decarbonize. He can be reached at trevor.zuroff@shell.com.
The Catalyst Review asked Dr. Zuroff to share his thoughts on new commercial applications for
catalytic chemistry.
Shell's target is to become a net-zero-emissions energy business by 2050. An important element of this initiative involves playing an
integral role in supporting our customers' decarbonization journeys, especially those in the hard-to-abate sectors like refining and
petrochemical industries. Within Shell Catalysts & Technologies (SC&T), our efforts in this area can be described by five decarbonization
value chains: renewable fuels, plastics circularity, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and syngas products. Each of these value chains
presents exciting new commercial applications for catalyst technology.
For example, renewable fuels can play a key role in reducing the carbon footprint of mobility but present challenges to refiners. Unlike
traditional crude feedstocks, renewable feeds are often difficult to source with adequate quality, consume significant hydrogen in highly
exothermic reactions, and contain new contaminants. SC&T offers the Shell Renewable Refining Process, which utilizes advanced catalyst
technology, unique pretreatment and cutting-edge reactor internals to maximize yield, reduce the impact of contaminants and tune
hydrogen consumption. Beyond the fats and oils that feed the Shell Renewable Refining Process, refiners are considering a variety of
bio- and waste-based feeds. Innovative catalyst technology will be needed to prepare and process these feeds to make renewable fuels
that power the future of mobility.
As another example, low-carbon hydrogen is seen as a key enabler to global industrial decarbonization. A critical step on the journey to
reducing the carbon intensity of hydrogen is decarbonized hydrogen ('blue hydrogen'), which couples hydrogen production with carbon
capture and storage. SC&T offers the Shell Blue Hydrogen Process, which integrates two proven technologies: Shell gas partial oxidation
and our proven solvent technology for CO2
capture, called ADIP ULTRA. In addition, there are many other potential applications for
catalyst technology in low-carbon hydrogen ('green hydrogen'), which is produced via electrolysis. For example, as low-carbon hydrogen
accelerates, so does the opportunity for catalysts that purify produced hydrogen streams, like SC&T's proven deoxygenation catalysts.
Finally, within Plastics Circularity, the opportunity for novel catalyst technology is vast. Catalysts will be part of realizing a circular economy
in which post-use plastics are converted to feedstocks for virgin materials. SC&T's circularity portfolio includes Shell Recovered Plastics
Upgrader. This process technology addresses the growing demand from the industry to introduce waste plastic into the petrochemical
value chain, enabling such feedstocks to be processed in a steam cracker to produce new plastic building blocks. The circular economy
is just beginning to emerge, and catalyst technologies, like Shell Recovered Plastics Upgrader, will evolve along with it. Innovation and
collaboration are essential to accelerate catalyst technology within plastics circularity.
At Shell Catalysts & Technologies, we provide leading catalysts, services and licensed process technologies that enable more and
cleaner energy solutions today and in the future. During this journey, three things have become clear: 1) not any one organization will
have all the answers; 2) collaborating closely with partners and customers is imperative; and 3) innovation is essential. For Trevor Zuroff,
there could be no better place to be than on this journey. So, how can we work together to power progress and help realize your
energy-transition-related goals?
Coming Soon - Topics Include:
* Production Advances for Fresh Water
* Polyolefins Technology Transfer Market
16
The Catalyst Review
April 2024

The Catalyst Review April 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Catalyst Review April 2024