Nova Chemicals embarks on multiple projects

Nova Chemicals Corporation has decided to move forward with the second phase of its NOVA 2020 growth strategy in Ontario, Canada, and to continue to evaluate options for a second Advanced SCLAIRTECH technology (AST) facility.  

This next phase of the NOVA 2020 growth strategy, anticipated to take place over the 2014 to 2018 timeframe, will concentrate on several cost-effective expansions and upgrades to Nova Chemicals’ existing facilities in the Sarnia, ON region, including: expanding the Corunna cracker ethylene manufacturing capacity by approximately 20%; pursuing a debottleneck at the Moore low-density polyethylene (PE) line; and pursuing a retrofit of the Moore high-density PE line. 

These projects are intended to build on the impact of the Corunna cracker conversion to utilize up to 100% natural gas liquids (NGLs) to enhance NOVA Chemicals’ capabilities to meet growing and more sophisticated customer demands. 

During this period, Nova Chemicals will continue to investigate options for a second AST facility, which could be located in Ontario, the U.S. Gulf Coast or elsewhere in the world, and which would be implemented in the final phase of the NOVA 2020 growth strategy. 

Work continues to progress on other projects within the first phase of the NOVA 2020 portfolio, including revamping the Corunna, Ontario cracker facility to utilize cost-competitive NGL feedstocks with project completion targeted for Q1 2014. Ethane from the Marcellus Shale Basin is currently accumulating in local Sarnia storage for introduction as a Corunna feedstock shortly. The company is also building a world-scale gas-phase PE reactor at the Joffre, Alberta facility, to provide customers with a complete set of LLDPE offerings, which is expected to be mechanically complete in Q1 2016.