MOSCOW (MRC) -- NOVA Chemicals plans to expand ethylene production capacity by 20% at its cracker in Corunna, Ontario, as per Hydrocarbonprocessing.
The Corunna cracker has a current capacity of about 839,000 tpy, according to media reports.
The expansion will occur between 2014 and 2018, according to the company. It will be part of a wave of expansions and upgrades to NOVA's existing facilities near Sarnia, Ontario.
Other upgrades in the plan include a debottlenecking of the Moore low-density polyethylene (LDPE) line and a retrofit of the Moore high-density polyethylene (HDPE) 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," the company said in a statement.
The estimated cost of the projects, under the company's NOVA 2020 growth strategy, is USD300 million.
As MRC reported earlier, growth in the LDPE market is part of NOVA 2020, the company's long-term asset strategy to capitalize on emerging feedstock opportunities and growing North American demand. Restoring the Moore facility is the first step in NOVA Chemicals’ plan to strengthen its commitment to the LDPE market to better meet the needs of customers.
NOVA Chemicals Corporation is a plastics and chemical company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
MRC