4 March 2021— US methionine producer Novus said on Thursday it has completed the assessment of its Chocolate Bayou production facility on the Texas Gulf Coast, following the winter storm earlier this month that shut down the state’s energy, fuel processing and petrochemical industries with the lowest freezing temperatures in a generation.
Novus suspended operations in mid-February as a result of power outages and supply chain constraints that impacted the US Gulf Coast. When Novus was able to begin its initial assessment, damage was found at the facility, extending the down time.
Additionally, the raw materials used to produce methionine are oil or natural gas-based and produced in Texas; as such, many of these were impacted during the deep freeze.
In the weeks since winter storms Uri and Viola blasted the southern-central US in mid-February, Novus’s team in Texas has been diligently working to assess the storms’ impact on the manufacturing facility, secure resources to make repairs, and restore operations, a company spokesperson said.
“Significant progress has been made and Novus anticipates production of methionine hydroxy analogue (HMTBa) will resume in mid-March. HMTBa is used to make Novus’s ALIMET® feed supplement and other specialty products,” the company said in a statement to Feedinfo.
Novus is working closely with its customers to keep them informed of situations that may affect them.
“After a year managing pandemic-related challenges and a record-breaking hurricane season, our team has once again shown their mettle by facing this unprecedented weather event and working together to minimize disruptions to our customers,” said Ed Galo, Novus vice president and chief commercial officer for the Americas. “Our people make the difference, and this challenge illustrates just how much of a difference they can make.”
Meanwhile, methionine contractual commitments were being met in the US, according to buyers. Spot offers from US suppliers, however, have halted amid domestic production issues.
Evonik was expected to shut down dry crystalline methionine (DLM) production in the US for planned maintenance in March, according to buyers who purchase from the supplier.
Novus and Evonik are the two US methionine producers.
