Regulators Deny Permit for $2B Methanol Project in Washington

After a third environmental assessment, the Washington Department of Ecology has denied a shoreline permit for a China-backed, $2 billion-plus natural gas-fed methanol plant that would be sited along the Columbia River.

Project sponsor Northwest Innovation Works (NWIW) has until Feb. 9 to appeal the ruling made last Tuesday. Chief Development Officer Vee Godley said the company is evaluating its options, and is “confident that science and reason will prevail.”

NWIW Resources Vice President Clay Riding told NGI that an appeal is likely, and the latest setback would not change the project timeline. “There would have been appeals on the other side if the decision had gone the other way.”

Last month, the Ecology Department released its second supplementary environmental...