Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company Inc., Mitsubishi Corp. (MC) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI; all Tokyo, Japan; (MGC; www.mhi-global.com) have signed an agreement with state-owned National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd. (NGC) and Massy Holdings Ltd. (Massy) for the construction of a methanol and dimethyl ether plant in Trinidad and Tobago, and have concluded contracts for EPC (engineering, procurement and construction), gas supply, and relevant land leases.
The project, named Caribbean Gas Chemical Ltd. (established in March 2013) is located at La Brea, Union Estate Industrial Estate, and will be completed in June 2018, with startup slated for October 2018. The total investment for the project is about $1 billion. The main products are 1 million ton/yr of methanol and 20,000 ton/yr of diethyl ester.
Discussions are currently underway with a syndicate of Japanese banks for finalizing the loan agreement.
Methanol is made mainly from natural gas and is used in a wide range of products, including adhesive agents, agricultural chemicals, paints, synthetic resins, and synthetic raw materials. Dimethyl ether can be used as a substitute for LPG or as a substitute for diesel in automobiles and in power generation, and has therefore been receiving a lot of attention as a source of next-generation clean energy. Methanol produced under the project will be marketed worldwide by MGC, MC and Massy. The partners will also work closely with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to promote the use of dimethyl ether as a substitute for diesel in Trinidad and Tobago and in other Caribbean countries. Plant design and construction will be undertaken by MHI under an EPC contract with the parties.