Aither Chemicals is Considering Pennsylvania for Site of New $750 Million Plant
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) announced today that he has personally called Leonard Dolhert, CEO of Aither Chemicals, urging him to choose southwestern Pennsylvania as the site of a new ethane cracker plant.
Senator Casey and Mr. Dolhert had a positive conversation in which Senator Casey urged him to choose Pennsylvania as the site of this new ethane catalytic cracker plant. During the call, Senator Casey cited Pennsylvania’s unparalleled workforce and its ability to support a plant of this size and scope.
Aither Chemicals has partnered with Renewable Manufacturing Gateway (RMG), a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit with the mission of job creation in the Pittsburgh Tri-State area. RMG is tasked with locating a suitable site where can build a plant to process the “wet gas” found in the Marcellus Shale. The company is currently considering southwestern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and West Virginia.
“Building a new ethane cracker plant in southwestern Pennsylvania will mean major job creation and economic growth, so it’s crucial that this new plant comes to our state,” Senator Casey said. “Marcellus Shale is an economic game-changer for Pennsylvania, the perfect place for Aither Chemicals to process natural gas products so that they can get on the market as quickly as possible. After speaking with Mr. Dolhert, I’m hopeful we can bring this job-creating ethane cracker plant to Pennsylvania.”
Aither Chemicals’ new plant would convert ethane from natural gas gathered from the Marcellus and Utica shales to ethylene. Manufacturers then make high-value products, such as polyethylene, to make consumer goods such as agricultural chemicals, carpets and computers.
Bringing the plant to Pennsylvania would mean 200 new permanent jobs, 1,000 construction jobs, and $750 million in economic investment. Earlier this year, Senator Casey wrote a letter to the company’s CEO urging them to make Pennsylvania their home.
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