Air Liquide wins engineering work on YCI’s new Louisiana methanol project

Yuhuang Chemical (YCI) has awarded a detailed engineering and procurement services contract to Air Liquide for YCI’s 1.7-million tpy methanol plant located in St. James Parish, Louisiana, officials announced on Tuesday. 

Under this agreement, Air Liquide's global E&C solutions business will also provide YCI with procurement services for long-lead and other equipment required for the $1.85 billion world-scale methanol manufacturing complex.

“With an overall goal to complete this plant in early 2018, starting work on detailed engineering now is important and timely,” said Jerry Oliver, YCI's vice president of manufacturing. “We are excited to work on this portion of the project with such a reputable US firm.”

The world-scale project will entail three phases, with construction on the first phase projected to begin fourth quarter 2015.

YCI is the North American subsidiary of China-based Shandong Yuhuang Chemical (SYC). The project represents the first major foreign direct investment by a Chinese company in Louisiana.