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The Craker Plant that is being planned for Institute is still on track, its just that the company is working out a few bugs. The 300 million dollar plant will be WV's first craker plant, and a huge advantage for our state in the natural gas industry.
I live just below the Northern Panhandle, where the wet gas is, and the only logical place where a cracker plant should be located.
IF Charleston were not the state capital, Institute would have never been logically considered. Politics is politics, after all. Our legislators will somehow find the right way to blow this opportunity for everyone.
Greg, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. The Kanawha Valley is a prime chemical industry environment. I think there should be another cracker up near Moundsville, but the KV has great access to transportation, pipelines, trained workforce, secondary markets, and a larger business core in general. The most important thing is that in Institute, the cracker facility would use some of the infrastructure already at the Bayer site, saving tens of millions of dollars (I don't know the article, but I think I read that in a Hohmann piece in the Daily Mail).
So while I think the NP should get one (and still may - Aither has stated they want to build multiple crackers in Appalachia), the Charleston area was the logical choice for the first one considering the company is headquartered there. Aither or some other company (see: Braskem) will put one up there, I assure you. The one in Institute and the proposed Shell facility in Monaca, PA won't saturate the market.
Greg, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. The Kanawha Valley is a prime chemical industry environment. I think there should be another cracker up near Moundsville, but the KV has great access to transportation, pipelines, trained workforce, secondary markets, and a larger business core in general. The most important thing is that in Institute, the cracker facility would use some of the infrastructure already at the Bayer site, saving tens of millions of dollars (I don't know the article, but I think I read that in a Hohmann piece in the Daily Mail).
So while I think the NP should get one (and still may - Aither has stated they want to build multiple crackers in Appalachia), the Charleston area was the logical choice for the first one considering the company is headquartered there. Aither or some other company (see: Braskem) will put one up there, I assure you. The one in Institute and the proposed Shell facility in Monaca, PA won't saturate the market.
Elewis I am going to have to disagree with you.
The industry is the northern part of the state, and the big markets are in the Northeast. Building a plant away from both doesnt make any sense. The unrelated industry in Charleston is irrelevent to a cracker plant. They could easily build this plant anywhere in WV and the skills and infrastructure would be there. Wheeling is an industrial town too, and would make much more sense. The location of the HQ is also irrelevant. With the advent of the telephone, and other electronic communications the HQ does not need to be close to a factory. Perhaps this would have been true in the 19th century, but not since 1900. Finally the market is based on supply and demand. You want the cracker to be where the demand is, and it is not Charleston. the Cracker in PA wont meet all of the demand. You are just adding to transportation cost by putting the cracker in the middle of nowhere, away from the Shale, and away from the markets.
There is NO rational behind this move. The only thing I can think of is Charleston giving itself another handout. Charleston is infamous for this, and let's face it this move makes no sense. Charleston is just finding more ways to steal and redistribute wealth from Northern WV.
The industry is the northern part of the state, and the big markets are in the Northeast. Building a plant away from both doesnt make any sense. The unrelated industry in Charleston is irrelevent to a cracker plant. They could easily build this plant anywhere in WV and the skills and infrastructure would be there. Wheeling is an industrial town too, and would make much more sense. The location of the HQ is also irrelevant. With the advent of the telephone, and other electronic communications the HQ does not need to be close to a factory. Perhaps this would have been true in the 19th century, but not since 1900. Finally the market is based on supply and demand. You want the cracker to be where the demand is, and it is not Charleston. the Cracker in PA wont meet all of the demand. You are just adding to transportation cost by putting the cracker in the middle of nowhere, away from the Shale, and away from the markets.
There is NO rational behind this move. The only thing I can think of is Charleston giving itself another handout. Charleston is infamous for this, and let's face it this move makes no sense. Charleston is just finding more ways to steal and redistribute wealth from Northern WV.
Lets face it though, the company picked to build where they are already located. Its not an out of state company wanting to build in WV, it's a Charleston company. Plus Charleston's industry isn't "unrelated" to natural gas. In fact, natural gas fits quite well with the chemical industry and the products made here. Several gas companies are already located here, and as others have mentioned our transportation network is better here. Charleston also is close enough that it wouldn't be a big deal. And the only thing that the state gov could do is tell them they had to build here, which I highly doubt they could or would do!
Lets face it though, the company picked to build where they are already located. Its not an out of state company wanting to build in WV, it's a Charleston company. Plus Charleston's industry isn't "unrelated" to natural gas. In fact, natural gas fits quite well with the chemical industry and the products made here. Several gas companies are already located here, and as others have mentioned our transportation network is better here. Charleston also is close enough that it wouldn't be a big deal. And the only thing that the state gov could do is tell them they had to build here, which I highly doubt they could or would do!
It is called incentives Chris. They are basically handouts to companies. WV generally only gives them to build in Charleston.
It is called incentives Chris. They are basically handouts to companies. WV generally only gives them to build in Charleston.
Really? Because I can think of over a dozen companies that have gotten "incentives" to build in other parts of the state (NCWV, EP). Recently Macey's warehouse, Cabella's distribution center in Wheeling, not to mention the incentives that the Northern tech compainies get to locate along the 79 corridor. Its about putting the plant in the best place that fits the company, and Aither would be stupid if they passed up the opportunity to build a plant less than 5 miles from the HQ. Plus construction costs would be less because Charleston already has some of the facilities needed for a craker. So it was the best location for it. Plus this isn't one of those out of state bank buster companies that the state was trying to lobby, it was a local company that really came out of nowhere with their anouncement.
Really? Because I can think of over a dozen companies that have gotten "incentives" to build in other parts of the state (NCWV, EP). Recently Macey's warehouse, Cabella's distribution center in Wheeling, not to mention the incentives that the Northern tech compainies get to locate along the 79 corridor. Its about putting the plant in the best place that fits the company, and Aither would be stupid if they passed up the opportunity to build a plant less than 5 miles from the HQ. Plus construction costs would be less because Charleston already has some of the facilities needed for a craker. So it was the best location for it. Plus this isn't one of those out of state bank buster companies that the state was trying to lobby, it was a local company that really came out of nowhere with their anouncement.
Charleston trying to force shale industry within it when none would develop naturally is already hurting the whole state. The state pushed hard for a much bigger cracker and gave HUGE incentives but the company chose to build in an area in PA where this is actual shale instead of Charleston which is far from the actual actions and markets. Had they proposed the plant in Wheeling it would have been built here and the state as a whole would be better off.
There is plenty of locations in the actual Shale area where they could build this plant at the same price and have a trained workforce. The only reason the company is building in Charleston is because the state government is subsidizing the plant with taxpayer money. This is not a business decision Chris, but a bribe from the state. Charleston wants to force itself to become part of the shale boom where ordinarily it would not be. THis is going to fail Chris and the shale from northern WV is going to go to PA because it is more practical. Once again Charleston has hurt the whole state to give itself a short term boost.
Charleston trying to force shale industry within it when none would develop naturally is already hurting the whole state. The state pushed hard for a much bigger cracker and gave HUGE incentives but the company chose to build in an area in PA where this is actual shale instead of Charleston which is far from the actual actions and markets. Had they proposed the plant in Wheeling it would have been built here and the state as a whole would be better off.
There is plenty of locations in the actual Shale area where they could build this plant at the same price and have a trained workforce. The only reason the company is building in Charleston is because the state government is subsidizing the plant with taxpayer money. This is not a business decision Chris, but a bribe from the state. Charleston wants to force itself to become part of the shale boom where ordinarily it would not be. THis is going to fail Chris and the shale from northern WV is going to go to PA because it is more practical. Once again Charleston has hurt the whole state to give itself a short term boost.
Again, where is the state helping with the finance of this craker? It's not, and again the company is building the plant in its home town. Your logic on how the plant is hurting the state is the dumbest thing I've heard. You have a local company that is building locally and keeping money in the state vs. an out of state company that will only build here if we give it incentives! This craker plant is actually better for the state! Plus, its close enough to shale gas that its in an acceptable place. Charleston is close enough, and the facilities are already here, transportation is already here, and obviously this company wants to build here and not there. If you can show me where the state is helping subsidize this, then maybe I'll reconsider, but fact is that it isn't.
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cracker plant in Institute
Plus construction costs would be less because Charleston already has some of the facilities needed for a craker. So it was the best location for it. Plus this isn't one of those out of state bank buster companies that the state was trying to lobby, it was a local company that really came out of nowhere with their anouncement.
