The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE: SHAW) today announced it has formed an exclusive alliance with Total Petrochemicals to jointly market and license Total Petrochemicals' polystyrene technology on a worldwide basis. The alliance is based on a licensing cooperation agreement recently signed by the two companies. Polystyrene, a standard plastic, is principally used in packaging, domestic appliances and electronics. Shaw has had a similar alliance with Total Petrochemicals for styrene monomer, the primary feedstock for polystyrene, for 15 years.

"Shaw will assist both existing licensees and potential new clients in development projects for new polystyrene manufacturing facilities and modernizations to existing facilities all over the world," said James Glass, president of Shaw's Energy & Chemicals Group. "In addition to marketing the technology, we look forward to bringing our expertise with basic engineering packages and engineering, procurement and construction services to these projects."

Total Petrochemicals' polystyrene technology produces both general purpose polystyrene, a rigid and transparent material used in applications such as insulation and packaging (transparent containers and boxes), and high impact polystyrene, a tough colored plastic used, for example, in dairy packaging, electronics and refrigeration applications.

With more than 45 years of polystyrene manufacturing, licensing and research and development experience, Total Petrochemicals is a major worldwide producer of polystyrene with production facilities in Europe, the Far East and Pacific Rim and United States. It has a worldwide production capacity of 1,580 kilo tons per annum (kTA) including the largest single production unit in the world (230 kTA) located in Carville, Louisiana. The polystyrene technology has been used in the design of more than 45 polystyrene production units located on 25 sites in 20 countries around the world for a global capacity of 2,500 kTA.

The Shaw Group Inc. (NYSE:SHAW) is a leading global provider of engineering, construction, technology, fabrication, remediation and support services for clients in the energy, chemicals, environmental, infrastructure and emergency response industries. A Fortune 500 company with fiscal year 2011 annual revenues of $5.9 billion, Shaw has approximately 27,000 employees around the world and is a power sector industry leader according to Engineering News-Record's list of Top 500 Design Firms. For more information, please visit Shaw's website at www.shawgrp.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements and information about our current and future prospects and our operations and financial results, which are based on currently available information. The forward-looking statements include assumptions about our operations, such as cost controls and market conditions, that may not be realized. Actual future results and financial performance could vary significantly from those anticipated in such statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, the occurrence of certain events or otherwise.

Among the factors that could cause future events or transactions to differ from those we expect are those risks discussed under Item 1A "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2011, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended November 30, 2011, and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Please read our "Risk Factors" and other cautionary statements contained in these filings.

As a result of these risks and others, actual results could vary significantly from those anticipated in this press release, and our financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected.

The Shaw Group Inc.
Gentry Brann, 225-987-7372
gentry.brann@shawgrp.com