CONSTRUCTION on a US$37 million, one billion gallon-per-year fuel grade ethanol dehydration plant by EthylChem at Petrotrin’s Pointe-a-Pierre compound is expected to begin within the next few weeks with the plant expected to become fully operational “prior to the 2009 driving season in the United States.” In a media statement, the company announced that it had entered into an financing agreement with a leading global private equity firm, Denham Capital Management LP, for the fuel grade ethanol dehydration plant. “Denham will become a majority shareholder in EthylChem and provide the funding necessary to construct the facility, to be located in the Pointe-a-Pierre Refinery of the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin),” the company said.

Over 100 hundred jobs are expected to be generated during the project’s construction phase, which will be undertaken by Junior Sammy Contractors, while Petrotrin is expected to provide “certain operating and logistical infrastructure” for the project.

According to Ethylchem managing director, Namdeo Maharaj, the facility would be located at the western side of Petrotrin’s compound. “EthylChem expects the initial facility to be completed in the second quarter of 2009. It will have a capacity to produce 100,000,000 gallons per year of anhydrous fuel grade ethanol, which will meet all specifications for use in US gasoline,” the company said.