Page 17 - NorthAmOil Week 46

NorthAmOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES NorthAmOil

PTT delays FID on Ohio cracker

but reiterates commitment

OHIO A US subsidiary of Thailand’s PTT has report- PTTGCA is proposing to build an ethane
edly delayed a final investment decision (FID) on cracker in Ohio’s Belmont County, using ethane
a proposed petrochemical project in Ohio. Thai feedstock from the Appalachian Basin. Under
media reported last week, citing PTT’s CEO, current plans, the facility would produce 1.5mn
Auttapol Rerkpiboon, that the company was tonnes per year (tpy) of ethylene if it is built – a
reviewing the project, with the process expected process which is expected to take 4-6 years.
to take until the middle of 2021 at the earliest. This is not the only such project in the US
This comes in the wake of several develop- Northeast – Royal Dutch Shell is building an
ments in 2020, including, most recently, Joe Bid- ethane cracker in Western Pennsylvania. But
en’s victory in the US presidential election, which Shell is further ahead in the process, while pro-
may lead to changes in investment conditions. jects that have reached FID are facing a more
Other developments contributing to a review uncertain future.
of the project are the coronavirus (COVID-19) A PTTGCA spokesman, Dan Williamson,
pandemic, the resulting downturn in demand told the Pittsburgh Business Times this week that
and the withdrawal of former joint venture part- had it not been for the pandemic, an FID would
ner Daelim Industrial. PTT Global Chemical have been taken already. He added, however, that
America (PTTGCA) already pushed the FID the project would be a top priority for the com-
on the project back from 2020 to 2021 in June in pany if it goes ahead, and that it had not been put
response to the market downturn. on hold at any point.
However, on November 18, PTT stated that Analysts estimate the ethane cracker’s cost
it was still working to move the project forward. at $5.7bn.™

ENERGY TRANSITION

Enbridge Gas unveils hydrogen

blending pilot project

ONTARIO ENBRIDGE Gas, a subsidiary of Canada’s According to the statement, Enbridge Gas
Enbridge, announced this week that it is partner- will initially provide a maximum hydrogen
ing with Cummins on a CAD5.2mn ($4.0mn) blended content of up to 2% of the natural gas.
pilot project to blend renewable hydrogen into a The blend will be supplied to customers in the
portion of the natural gas network in Markham, third quarter of 2021, abating up to 117 tonnes
Ontario. of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere.
According to a November 18 statement, the “This power-to-gas project will demonstrate
project is the first of its kind in North America the potential of renewable hydrogen produced
and will involve hydrogen produced at a pow- by electrolysers to reduce carbon in the natural
er-to-gas facility in Markham. In 2021, this gas system,” commented Cummins’ vice-presi-
hydrogen will be blended into a portion of the dent of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies, Amy
gas network serving around 3,600 customers in Adams.
the city. Cummins is involved in the design, man-
If the project is successful, Enbridge Gas will ufacture, distribution and servicing of what it
pursue other – and larger – hydrogen-blend- describes as a broad power portfolio.
ing initiatives in other parts of its distribution Enbridge Gas, for its part, was formed in
system. 2019 from the amalgamation of Union Gas and
The blending project is aimed at lowering Enbridge Gas Distribution. It is Ontario’s largest
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and comes as natural gas storage, transmission and distribu-
hydrogen is increasingly being seen as a key part tion company. The company is involved in other
of the energy transition. Enbridge Gas and Cum- low-carbon initiatives in Ontario, including
mins will execute the scheme with the support renewable natural gas (RNG) produced from
of Sustainable Development Technology Canada organic waste, which can also help displace tra-
(STDC). ditional natural gas and reduce emissions.™

Week 46 19•November•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P17