Expansions: Nova Chemicals’ PE project on track for 2022 start-up; Maire Tecnimont clinches US$500 mn contract for PP units in Saudi

Canadian petrochemical firm Nova Chemicals Corporation says that its second Advanced Sclairtech technology (AST) unit for PE, with a capacity for 450,000 tonnes/year, is on track for start up in 2022. It adds that together with the third phase of the Corunna Cracker Expansion Project, both have each safely surpassed 65% completion. The first of eight electrical substations were energised in March, and the company estimates that both projects will commence full start-up activities in late 2022, after the Corunna Site turnaround which is targeted for spring 2022.

The new AST polyethylene unit is located at the new Rokeby Site in St. Clair Township, Ontario. The cracker expansion will provide ethylene feedstock to the new AST facility, expanding the existing unit’s current capacity by more than 50%.

“We’re proud to bring Canadian ingenuity to the North American and global marketplace, especially as the plastics and chemicals landscape evolves around the world,” stated Luis Sierra, Nova Chemicals’ President/CEO.

Sierra continued, “The Covid-19 pandemic and the severe cold weather in February on the US Gulf Coast have reminded us how Nova’s products and geographic locations can provide our customers with security of supply and more choices. Our new octene copolymer AST facility will increase the volume of differentiated highperformance resins, provide our customers with supply assurance and introduce an expanded product slate designed to meet the increasing demand for easy to recycle products that help shape a better world.”

The combined investment of approximately CAD$2.5 billion brings technology, high-paying jobs, and long-term viability to the region, he added.

Since the growth projects began in late 2017, Nova has added approximately CAD$1.1 billion to the provincial economy in labour and materials. Currently, there are nearly 1,800 workers onsite, representing more than 4 million hours worked since the project started. An estimated 150 permanent fulltime jobs will be created to operate and maintain the facilities.

Nova Chemicals develops and manufactures chemicals and plastic resins for applications such as food packaging, caps & closures and e-commerce packaging. Currently, there are three manufacturing facilities and one corporate office in the Sarnia-Lambton region. The Corunna Site produces around 800,000 tonnes of ethylene and about 110,000 tonnes of co-products annually. Corunna provides feedstock to the Moore Site and St. Clair River Sites, which convert the ethylene into 625,000 tonnes of PE. Ethane, a component of natural gas, is the primary feedstock for ethylene production at Corunna Site.

Meanwhile in other news, engineering/construction firm Maire Tecnimont’s subsidiaries Tecnimont and Tecnimont Arabia have been awarded by Advanced Global Investment Company (AGIC) a package of the integrated PDH-PP complex project, relating to the realisation of two PP units. The total contract value is approximately US$500 million and the project scope of work entails complete engineering services, equipment and material supply (to be performed by Tecnimont). The project completion is expected by the second quarter of 2024.

The two PP units will have a capacity of 400,000 tonnes/year each and will be located inside the Integrated PDH-PP (propane dehydrogenation - polypropylene) complex in Jubail Industrial City II, in Saudi Arabia.

AGIC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Advanced Petrochemical Company, a Saudi joint stock company established in 2005 and listed on the Saudi Stock Market since 2006. It manufactures PP products for a range of industries including automotive, consumer product, healthcare, packaging, and textile.

Maire Tecnimont S.p.A., listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, heads an industrial group which leads the global natural resource processing industry (downstream oil & gas plant engineering, with technological and executive expertise). Its subsidiary NextChem operates in the field of green chemicals and technologies in support of the energy transition. The Maire Tecnimont Group operates in 45 countries, through 50 companies and about 9,000 people.

(PRA)

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