Methanex Corporation, the world’s largest producer and supplier of methanol, has made a NZ$2 million investment to support the building of the new neonatal unit at Taranaki Base Hospital in New Zealand. The 10-year partnership provides funding for state-of-the-art treatment to care for the most vulnerable newborns and their families. As part of this investment, the new unit will be called The Methanex Neonatal Unit and is expected to be completed in 2025.

“We truly believe in the vision of the Taranaki Health Foundation and the neonatal unit is an area of the hospital that so many of us have had personal experience with, including members of our Methanex New Zealand team,” said Stuart McCall, Managing Director of Methanex New Zealand. “Our operation in New Zealand employs over 200 people and represents almost 10% of the Taranaki economy. Our approach is to look to our region and provide as much assistance as we can to projects that will be most beneficial to Taranaki for decades to come.”

Project Maunga Stage 2 is a $330 million project that includes the construction of a six-storey, state-of-the-art New East Wing Building that will house many of Taranaki Base Hospital's acute clinical services, including the emergency department, intensive care unit (ICU), maternity, neonatal, laboratory and radiology services. While the government is funding the project’s redevelopment and basic vital services, the Taranaki Health Foundation is aiming to raise NZ$25 million for upgrades and enhancements across emergency, ICU, maternity, neonatal, radiography and the new Taranaki Cancer Care Centre.

“This is a tremendous gesture of generosity, and illustrates Methanex’s commitment to our region and the long-term health and wellbeing of our community,” said Adrian Sole, Taranaki Health Foundation general manager. “We want Taranaki to have a fully equipped neonatal department, and we want to make sure every newborn has the best chance of survival. Methanex’s fantastic support will help us achieve that.”

Methanex has three production facilities in Taranaki—two in Motunui and one in the Waitara Valley. Taranaki is a coastal region in New Zealand's North Island. Locally, the region is referred to as the 'Energy Province' due to the significance of the oil, gas and chemical manufacturing industries within the area.