A gas-to-liquid fuels plant is moving forward in Floyd County, and could bring with it several hundred jobs.

RCL Chemical, which is the parent company of RCC Big Shoal — the company that had planned a coal-to-liquid fuels plant in Pike County — announced that a New York-based firm, Y2X Infrastructure, has agreed to secure $325 million for the project. Floyd County Judge-Executive Ben Hale said the gas-to-liquid plant will be constructed in the Eastern community, located outside of Martin along Route 80.

The project was originally planned to be a coal-to-liquid fuels plant to be located in Pikeville in the undeveloped Big Shoal area, across the Levisa Fork River from Coal Run Village, in Pike County. The Pike Fiscal Court loaned RCC Big Shoal $400,000 for the project, but construction never stated.

Hale said the company locating in Floyd County will benefit both Floyd and Pike counties.

According to a press release by RCL Chemical, it is anticipated that more than 500 construction jobs will be created by the project. Hale said dozens more long-term, sustained jobs will also be created.

Ground is expected to be broken in the fourth quarter of this year, and the gas to liquids plant is anticipated to be operation by 2020.

For more details and for comments from Hale, see the attached video.

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