CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Aspen Technology, Inc. announced that Shell Chemicals will extend its usage of the Aspen Engineering Suite(TM) (AES) for process design to fully leverage best practice knowledge and collaborative engineering on a global level. AspenTech's engineering tools have been used for steady state simulation in every major chemical plant at Shell for nearly a decade. The new agreement gives Shell access to the Aspen ICARUS(R) technology for economic evaluation across all sites, permitting the company to assess the viability of alternative process designs prior to capital commitment, and thus optimize its return on capital investments. "AspenTech's process modeling technology has been key for conceptual process design across many of our sites," said Hans Pingen, manager Process Systems at Shell International Chemicals. "Their solutions enable us to improve process performance, identify best process design alternatives and reduce our level of energy consumption. By extending the existing agreement globally we are ensuring consistency in our approach to process modeling, allowing us to build on the process performance improvements already achieved." The Aspen Engineering Suite of solutions for Process Asset Lifecycle Management (PALM) integrates best-in-class engineering technologies designed to increase engineering efficiency via enhanced integration, seamless data transfer, and the effective re-use of process knowledge based on the development of a single asset model utilized throughout the entire enterprise. "Shell has realized that managing its process assets more effectively can have a real impact on the bottom line," said David McQuillin, Co-Chief Operating Officer of AspenTech. "This new agreement will enable Shell to improve its key performance indicators, such as engineering and manufacturing efficiency, return on capital employed, and capital expenditures across all sites worldwide."