NOVA targets ’22 start-up of Canada cracker, PE project

HOUSTON (ICIS)–NOVA Chemicals has surpassed 65% completion for its second Advanced SCLAIRTECH technology (AST) polyethylene (PE) unit and the third phase of its Corunna cracker expansion project, the company said on Monday.

The first of eight of electrical substations was safely energised in March, and the company estimates that both units will commence full start-up activities in late 2022 after the Corunna site turnaround, which is targeted for spring 2022, NOVA said.

The new AST PE unit, located at the new Rokeby site in St Clair township, Ontario, will have a capacity of 1bn lb/year ( 454,000 tonnes/year). The cracker expansion will provide ethylene feedstock to the new AST facility, expanding the existing unit’s current capacity by more than 50%.

“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 high-performance 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,” said Luis Sierra, NOVA CEO.

NOVA currently operates three manufacturing facilities and one corporate office in the Sarnia-Lambton region of Ontario. The Corunna produces 1.8bn lb/year of ethylene and about 250m lbs/year of co-products, the company said.

Corunna provides feedstock to the Moore site and St Clair River sites, which convert the ethylene into 1.38bn lb/year of PE. Ethane is the primary feedstock for ethylene production at Corunna site.

Thumbnail image shows PE.