Another
energy sector stimulus
By Louis B Homer
Trinidad Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
11 26 06
Downstream
activities in the energy sector will receive a stimulus
with the construction of a US$20 million ethanol
dehydration plant at Petrotrin's Pointe-a-Pierre
refinery.
When
completed, the plant is expected to bring some $200
million in foreign exchange into the local economy.
EthylChem
Limited, the company involved in the construction
of the plant recently entered into an agreement
with state-owned Petrotrin for the use of a designated
area at the refinery.
Patrick
Johnson, managing director of EthylChem, said the
plant will be constructed at the western end of
the refinery and that construction had already started.
"We expect to have the plant fully functional
by April 2007,"Johnson said.
He
said it will generate about 100 jobs during the
construction stage and when completed the fully
automated plant will employ 16 people.
Johnston
said the plant will have a capacity to produce 100
million gallons a year of anhydrous fuel grade ethanol
which will meet all the specifications for use in
gasolene.
The
ethanol to be processed will come from Brazil.
The
dehydration technology for the plant will be provided
by Vogelbusch, USA. while Lauren Engineers and Constructors
Inc will provide project engineering and construction
management.
Executive
Director of EthylChem, Ronald White said there should
be no cause for concern about pollution. "We
will be operating one of the cleanest plants in
the world and there will be no pollution coming
from the plant at Pointe- a- Pierre," he said.
White
said the company decided to build the plant at Pointe-a-Pierre
because it was economically profitable to construct
the plant in Trinidad.
In
addition to the local production, EthylChem also
has a supply agreement with a worldwide trading
company having access to Brazilian hydrous ethanol
to be shipped to Trinidad for dehydration.
Said
White: "While EthylChem intends to export the
fuel to the United States the company is examining
the possibility of shipping the product to other
markets in the world."
Trinidad
Express
Wednesday, November 22nd 2006
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©2006 Trinidad Express . All Rights Reserved.
