INSTITUTE, W.Va. (WV News) — West Virginia officials attended a ceremony Monday celebrating the state’s first methanol production facility.
US Methanol have invested more than $250 million into its Liberty Once facility in the Institute Industrial Complex, which will employ 56 workers and produce around 200,000 metric tons of methanol annually.
“US Methanol’s investment comes at an integral time for our country as we work to reach our petrochemical, energy and manufacturing goals,” said Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. “This $250 million investment is already creating good-paying, long-term jobs for West Virginians and boosting local economic development, and I look forward to seeing the benefits of the project for decades to come.”
“West Virginia has been a chemical industry leader for generations, and I’m proud to see that trend continue,” said Gov. Jim Justice. “Today, US Methanol celebrated the opening of the state’s first production facility. We’re happy having US Methanol in Almost Heaven and look forward to growing together.”
“I look forward to seeing the benefits this facility will continue to make in our state for years to come,” said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.
Others who attended Monday’s event include Kent Carper of the Kanawha County Commission, Ericke Cage, president of West Virginia State University and Rebecca McPhail, president of the West Virginia Manufacturers Association.
According to information on US Methanol’s website, the company was founded in 2016 with the “mission to reliably produce and deliver the highest quality methanol at the lowest delivered price to industrial consumers.”
US Methanol LLC, entered the methanol production industry with the acquisition and relocation of a plant that previously operated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The company relocated the plant to its new location in Institute and performed “major upgrades, repairs, and modifications” on an existing facility in the Institute Industrial Complex.