Construction has halted at the site of a biomethane plant in Center Township.
It was announced in July of 2023 that Air Liquide Advanced Technologies would build a renewable natural gas production plant at the 119 Business Park, with an anticipated opening date of the second quarter of last year. But over a year after the project was supposed to be completed, construction on Lot 2 has been at a standstill.
Byron Stauffer with the county office of planning and development said that the company has experienced cost overruns concerning the project, and options are being reevaluated.
Stauffer said one of those cost overruns has to do with how much concrete is needed on the site as mining voids found through a geological survey at the site made things unstable.
He added that other cost overruns and supply chain issues in getting their equipment to Center Township also added to the costs. While a $1.4 million state grant for natural gas pipeline extensions and an additional $750,000 RACP grant administered by the county commissioners were acquired, Stauffer said that no public money has gone towards the project.
As it stands, Stauffer said that the company is in violation of the development agreement with the county, which ends in October.
He also said there have been several inquiries made by companies to speak with Air Liquide to acquire the site.
We reached out to Air Liquide to comment on the story, and they did not reply to our requests.
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