The global technology and specialty materials company, Celanese Corporation, has announced that it will explore plans to build a methanol production unit at the company’s Bishop, Texas facility.
Celanese is currently going through the necessary environmental construction permits for a unit with the yearly capacity of 1.3 million tons. Construction is subject to the receipt of economic incentives from governmental authorities. The Bishop methanol unit would be similar in scope and scale to the methanol unit that is under construction at Celanese’s Clear Lake, Texas integrated chemical plant. The newly proposed plant would make use of the abundant, low-cost natural gas in the US Gulf Coast Region as a form of feedstock. It would also benefit from the already existing infrastructure at the site.
“The strategic upstream production of methanol and the attractive economics of natural gas in the U.S. Gulf Coast region – combined with the infrastructure at our Bishop facility – make this a unique opportunity for Celanese,” said Mark Rohr, chairman and chief executive officer.