Environmental Stewardship & Safety

We believe responsible management of our environmental resources is vital to providing products and services that help people improve their lives, while using fewer resources and respecting the environment.

Koch Methanol St. James is committed to running the plant safely and responsibly. Methanol is produced in a series of steps, combining steam, oxygen, and natural gas under high pressures and temperatures. Every day, our team strives to discover new technologies and efficiencies in the manufacturing process to create more value while using fewer resources, minimizing waste, and improving the environmental performance and effectiveness of our processes.

Koch Methanol St. James diligently follows all local, state and federal requirements and minimizes air emissions by using a number of emissions controls, including selective catalytic reduction or SCR to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions; oxidation catalyst to reduce carbon monoxide and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions; a vapor control unit, a scrubber, a flare and tanks equipped with internal floating roofs to control VOC emissions; and cooling tower drift eliminators to control particulate matter (PM) emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions are minimized through energy efficiency measures and by employing an inherently carbon efficient combined reforming process to produce methanol.

The facility uses a water intake structure to pull water from the Mississippi River for fire water, cooling water, boiler feed water, and production of demineralized water. Koch Methanol St. James conducted a thorough intake structure study, which showed that the water intake structure does not adversely impact the fish population.

Safety performance is Koch Methanol St. James’s first order of business, with a goal of zero incidents. The facility maintains the highest safety standards and ensures, through both design and administration, safe working conditions for employees. This, in turn, protects employees, partners, neighbors, and the community.