New methanol plants expected to increase industrial natural gas use through 2020

New methanol plants expected to increase industrial natural gas use through 2020
New methanol plants under development in the United States are increasing natural gas consumption in the industrial sector. Methanol plants are among the most natural gas-intensive industrial end users and require natural gas both as a feedstock and for process heat. Three new plants expected to come online in 2019 and 2020 have a combined nameplate capacity of about 3.3 million metric tons per year (MMmt/y) and would increase total U.S. methanol capacity to 9.4 MMmt/y, or 25,600 metric tons per day (mt/d)—a 45% increase from the current U.S. capacity.