US Methanol Breaking Ground
US Methanol says it plans to break ground on a West Virginia methanol production facility outside Charleston on Wednesday. According to the company, its Liberty One plant is scheduled to begin production in the second half of 2018 in Institute. It’s expected to produce 200,000 metric tons (1.10 short tons) annually of methanol and create about 50 permanent jobs. Chief Executive Frank Bakker says they will provide methanol as feedstock for the chemical industry in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states. The company is relocating the facility from Brazil, saying it chose West Virginia for its proximity to customers and the region’s reserves of natural gas, which is used to make it.