Yuhuang Chemical Inc. (YCI) completed its purchase of about 1,300 acres in St. James, La., where it will build a $1.85 billion methanol manufacturing complex, the company said Aug. 18. The purchase was closed July 23.

A multiphase strategy will be used to build the plant, which will handle 1.7 million tonnes per year. The first phase is scheduled to be operational by first-quarter 2018.

YCI said Aug. 10 that long-term firm natural gas transportation capacity on Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line, or Transco, was secured. Under a 20-year agreement there will be transportation from points in Transco’s Zone 3 to a new delivery interconnection within the proposed site.

YCI is the North American subsidiary of China’s Shandong Yuhuang Chemical Co. Ltd., which produces and markets propylene, isobutene, butadiene, isoprene, Styrene, Toluene, and other chemicals.