Project Profile
Value: US$1bn
Location: Beaumont, Texas, USA
Area: 514 acre
Capacity: Up to 5,000 tpd, equivalent to approximately 1.75 million tpy
Start-up Year: Late 2016
Natgasoline, a wholly-owned subsidiary of OCI, is planning to build a new methanol plant in Beaumont, Texas, US, with an investment of around US$1bn. With a daily capacity of 5,000 tons, the Beaumont plant will be the first methanol facility of this scale in the US and will be the country’s largest based on its nameplate capacity. The plant is expected to have a capacity of up to 5,000 tpd, equivalent to approximately 1.75 million tpy. It is expected to start production in late 2016. It will be the first methanol facility of this scale in the US and will be the country’s largest methanol production facility based on nameplate capacity.
The project will use novel methanol technology and will incorporate best available environmental control technology, according to the company. OCI subsidiary Natgasoline LLC submitted applications for environmental approvals at both state and federal levels in February 2013. The plant will take up a portion of a 514 acre plot of land recently acquired by OCI. The project has been awarded a grant of US$2.1 million from the Texas Enterprise Fund, as well as incentive commitments from local entities, including the city of Beaumont, Jefferson County, the Beaumont Independent School District, the Port of Beaumont and the Sabine-Neches Navigation District.
The Texas Enterprise Fund is a cash grant used as a financial incentive tool for projects that offer significant projected job creation and capital investment and where a single Texas site is competing with another viable out-of-state option. OCI estimates that the new Beaumont project will create approximately 3,000 construction jobs over the next three years and has committed to create 240 permanent jobs. OCI’s construction group will be involved in the construction of the plant, creating job opportunities in Texas and facilitating the completion of the project on schedule.
Operators:
Natgasoline (wholly-owned subsidiary of OCI): Operator with 100% interest