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14-06-2012

Celanese plans methanol plant for Houston

Celanese Corporation, a global technology and specialty materials company, today announced its intention to construct and operate a methanol production facility at its Clear Lake, Texas acetyl complex.  As one of the world’s largest producers of acetyl products, the company plans to utilize its existing infrastructure to capture the opportunities created by abundant and affordable U.S. natural gas supplies.

“The positive developments in the U.S. energy complex and the current and emerging natural gas surplus make it advantageous for us to produce our own methanol requirements for U.S. acetyl production,” said Mark Rohr, chairman and chief executive officer of Celanese.  “Utilizing existing Celanese infrastructure helps reduce capital requirements while capturing advantages of state-of-the-art technologies.”

Following necessary approvals, Celanese intends to construct a 1.3 million metric ton per year facility with anticipated start-up after July 1, 2015. A significant portion of the methanol produced would be used to support the company’s operations. The company expects to partner with one or more additional entities interested in the remaining methanol.

The company currently produces acetic acid and vinyl acetate monomer at the facility and is finalizing construction of its TCX ethanol technology development unit. The company’s global acetyl research and development center is also located at the facility. The additional methanol production builds on the company’s current position in the Houston region and would incrementally bring several hundred jobs to the area through the construction and start-up phases.

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