Contributed by Patty Sullivan
A Japanese delegation toured Port MacKenzie on May 29, considering its potential for a liquefied natural gas project for exports of Cook Inlet gas to Japan. Mayor Ryozo Tatami of Maizuru City said he was impressed with the size and space of Port MacKenzie. The company, Resources Energy, Inc., plans to build and operate a small-scale plant at 1 million tons a year at Port MacKenzie, operating by 2021.
Assembly Members with the Kyoto Prefecture and Maizuru City met with Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly Members Dan Mayfield and Jim Sykes and Port Director Marc VanDongen at the port. The group traveled to Anchorage later and met up with Assembly Members Steve Colligan, Randall Kowalke, and Mayor Vern Halter, as well as Borough Manager John Moosey.
The Port MacKenzie trip was one stop on a statewide tour centered on the industries of energy, seafood, and tourism for the Japanese delegation.
Watch the short video with interviews with the Maizuru Mayor and an REI, vice president, Brian Murkowski.