Bilfinger Westcon Inc. (BWI) has been awarded a contract with US Methanol to rebuild methanol plant Liberty One, which is being relocated from Rio de Janeiro to West Virginia.
Work began in late April 2017 and will be completed in early 2019. BWI has been tasked with rebuilding the plant, including site preparation, piling, foundation, equipment and steel installation. The construction portion of the project will create 200-300 jobs.
Methanol supply shortages and lowpriced natural gas in the region are driving this project, which is expected to be the first of several regional methanol relocation projects being carried out by US Methanol. This first project will supply 200,000 metric tons per year of methanol to consumers close by.
The plant will create approximately 50 permanent jobs, which is an indication of progress in West Virginia. US Methanol is based in Charleston, West Virginia, where the first of these plants is being built. The Liberty One plant is within overnight trucking distance of half of the U.S. population. Access to extensive water, rail and highway systems make cargo delivery easy and affordable. Liberty One will be a major regional manufacturer, benefiting from the abundance of gas in the Marcellus and Utica shale fields. The low cost of producing natural gas and related byproducts is expected to expand the chemical industry within close proximity to Liberty One.
For more information, visit www.westcon.bilfinger.com or call (701) 222-0076.
