INSTITUTE, W.Va. (WCHS) — West Virginia’s first methanol manufacturing plant is up and running in Institute.
After touring the $250 million plant, state and local lawmakers seemed confident that U.S. Methanol will be successful at the Institute facility. The site is expected to provide 200,000 metric tons annually of toxic, highly flammable material to customers in West Virginia and surrounding states.
“The most important thing for us is to run this plant safely and to make sure we’re protecting people in the plant and the people who live and work around the plant,” U.S. Methanol CEO Michael Walsh said. “You have my commitment, that's what we will continue to do.”
Problems at chemical plants seem to come up when a new process is started or an old one changed. This plant is now operating at capacity and was going well before Monday’s ceremony.
“Employees have been instructed if you see something wrong, stop, pull the plug, stop the plant,” U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said. “We’re not going to, basically, have one person in harm’s way.”
U.S. Methanol’s product is used to produce electronics, silicone sealants, building materials, plastics and polymers.
“Think of the efforts that it actually takes to move something as complicated as a methanol facility all the way up from Brazil to Institute,” U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., said.
Most methanol comes from natural gas. This is the only such plant in the state and one of about 20 nationwide with most on the Gulf Coast.
Officials said the plant is expected to have about 60 full-time jobs.