‘Cracker’ plant announcement put off again
Belmont County leaders are going to need to wait a while longer to learn whether a giant petrochemical plant is coming.
Developers of a proposed multibillion-dollar “cracker” plant, which may be the largest economicdevelopment prospect in the state, said on Thursday that they will “have a significant update that will demonstrate momentum for this project early in 2018.”
This is the latest of several delays since PTT Global Chemical of Thailand disclosed it was considering a Belmont County site in April 2015. At that time, the company said it was doing engineering studies and would decide whether to move forward with the project in 2016. The company said last February that it was delaying the decision until late 2017.
A cracker plant takes ethane, a component of natural gas, and breaks it down to produce ethylene, which is used in chemical manufacturing. Belmont County, which is along the OhioWest Virginia border, is on top of plentiful gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations.
“It’s just a tremendously large project that has a lot of parts to it,” said Larry Merry, executive director of the Belmont County Port Authority. “The company is just doing their due diligence.”
JobsOhio, the state’s nonprofit economicdevelopment company, has taken the lead on the project. Last December, JobsOhio said it had spent $14 million to reimburse PTT Global for some of the costs of preparing land for the project near the village of Shadyside.
If the plan moves forward, it would be the second cracker plant in the Utica and Marcellus region. Shell Chemical broke ground last month on a $6 billion plant outside of the Pittsburgh metro area.
PTT Global has not said how much its plan would cost.
Here is the company’s complete statement: “PTTGC America will have a significant update that will demonstrate momentum for this project early in 2018. We thank all Ohio and Belmont County partners for their support, and we wish you a happy holiday season.”
Merry said he thinks the company is close to making its decision.
“I don’t think at this time next year we’ll be sitting here wondering,” he said.