Two major chemical plants wrap in SW Ontario

Sarnia, ONT. – NOVA Chemicals has announced that two major projects representing a combined investment of $2.5 billion have reached completion in the Sarnia region of Ontario.

A new AST polyethylene unit, located at the Rokeby Site in St. Clair Township, will have a capacity of approximately one billion pounds per year, stated a recent release.

The Corunna Cracker Expansion project will provide ethylene feedstock to the new AST facility, expanding the existing unit’s current capacity by more than 50 per cent.

NOVA develops and manufactures chemicals and plastic resins for applications such as food packaging, caps and closures and e-commerce packaging.

The growth projects began in late 2017. More than 7,000 workers were involved in construction.

Nova has claimed that Canadian innovation played a key role in bringing new polyethylene resins for recyclable packaging to North American and global markets.

NOVA Chemicals is the largest private employer in the Sarnia-Lambton region. 

“We’re pleased to have completed the construction phase of the projects and our team is now fully focused on safely completing post-construction activities prior to starting the commissioning phase of this flagship asset,” stated Rob Thompson, NOVA’s vice president of manufacturing east.

“This has been a tremendous effort across the organization. During unprecedented conditions, everyone involved has worked diligently to bring our vision to reality and we look forward to celebrating the startup of the Rokeby Site with our stakeholders in 2023.”