Page 164 - CW E-Magazine (17-10-2023)

News from Abroad

RACIST INDUSTRIAL SITING

Koch Methanol receives approval to move forward

with expansion at US site

Koch Methanol St. James, LLC,
which owns and operates a facility
located on 1,300 acres in St. James
Parish, east of New Orleans, Louisiana
(USA), has received approval from the
St. James Parish Council for its expan-
sion project. The ‘Optimisation Project’
intends to achieve a 25% increase of
the existing facility design production
rate from approximately 4,950 to 6,200 would likely cut down on shutdowns had sued the parish government in US
metric tons per day of refi ned methanol. and fl aring. District Court in New Orleans, alleging
a history of racist industrial siting deci-
The St. James Parish Council unani- A St. James Parish resident had sions that they contend has steered new
mously approved the plan after plant appealed an earlier parish decision to polluting-plants to the parish’s poorest
workers spoke to its safety and eco- allow the plant expansion, leaving it and most concentrated minority areas.
nomic importance, while some resi- to the parish council to make the latest The groups are seeking a fi rst-ever ban
dents and activists raised concerns call. A new ethane line is expected to on new petrochemical plants in the
about pollution and weak job prospects. aid in that improved production, while parish and an independent monitor. The
The $185-mn expansion and reliabi- backup oxygen supply is expected to suit is still in its early stages; the parish
lity improvement to the Koch facility improve reliability. Added rail facilities has denied the allegations. Many resi-
would signifi cantly increase its air pol- are expected to aid in shipping, com- dents have argued the Koch expansion
lution levels, but company offi cials said pany offi cials have said. was another example of new or expanded
the plant would still not exceed state industry being directed to St. James
and federal ambient air standards and In March this year, two local groups, majority’s Black districts.

CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTION

Wood to license OMV’s plastic recycling technology

Leading consulting and engineering oil, a valuable resource primarily used A ReOil pilot plant has been ope-
company, Wood, has signed a collabo- to produce high-performing and sus- rating in the OMV refi nery in Schwe-
ration agreement with OMV for the tainable plastics. chat, Austria, since 2018 and has pro-
commercial licensing of its plastic cessed end-of-life plastics for more
recycling technology, ReOil. Under the agreement, Wood and than 22,000 hours to date. A 16,000-
OMV will bring ReOil jointly to the tons per year ReOil plant is currently
This agreement will support signifi - market, combining Wood’s proprietary in construction at the same site and
cant advancements in chemical-based heater technology with OMV’s chemi- Wood is working with OMV on the
plastic recycling, helping to build a cir- cal recycling process. The companies development of an industrial-scale
cular economy solution for end-of-life have established a combined techno- plant with a capacity of 200,000-tons
plastics that would otherwise be sent to logy and engineering delivery team to per year.
landfi ll or waste incineration. support clients with the implementa-
tion of ReOil at their sites. In addition, This collaboration agreement fol-
Austrian energy & chemicals group, Wood will work with ReOil licensees lows a respective Memorandum of Un-
OMV, developed the ReOil technology to provide full asset lifecycle support derstanding that was signed between
to convert plastic waste into pyrolysis globally. Wood and OMV in November 2022.

164 Chemical Weekly October 17, 2023

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