Velocys Puts Ashtabula, OH Gas-to-Liquids Plant Put on Hold
It's been some time since we've heard anything about/from the Ashtabula Gas-to-Liquids (GTL) plant project that Velocys says it will build in Ashtabula, Ohio. As a quick tutorial for those who may not know, GTL converts natural gas, a hydrocarbon, into other hydrocarbons, like diesel fuel, gasoline, solvents and (for Ashtabula) waxes. An abundance of cheap natural gas in the Marcellus/Utica is one of the prime motivators for establishing a GTL plant in the area. But although we've heard plenty of talk about such plants, none of them seem to get built--including the Ashtabula plant. There has been progress on the Ashtabula project. Early in 2015 Velocys filed for a permit, which was subsequently granted (see Ohio EPA Issues Final Permit for Ashtabula GTL Plant). Late last year Velocys announced the successful completion of pilot plant tests (see Velocys Makes Progress with Tech Used in Ashtabula GTL Plant). Since that time, we've heard nothing. Until now. Buried at the very end of a press release issued yesterday, Velocys said it has put the Ashtabula project "on hold" because they can't get investors to pony up money for the project. Below is the Velocys announcement, followed by some analysis of what may really be going on...
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