MOSCOW (MRC) -- NOVA Chemicals is resuming construction activities in a phased approach at its Corunna site, according to Blackburnnews.
The company said beginning Thursday, April 16 it will gradually increase the number of workers involved in construction of the new polyethylene plant and the cracker expansion project.
NOVA announced late last month that it was sending home the majority of the construction workers at the Corunna site to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. In an updated statement Wednesday, the company said it intends to safely and steadily resume some construction activities on both projects.
"In keeping with Ontario government directives for significant industrial petrochemical projects and our company’s foundational principles and core values, NOVA Chemicals has taken significant steps to maintain the health and safety of our employees, contractors and community," the statement said.
NOVA Chemicals President and CEO Todd Karran said many of them are working from home until future notice but they have site-critical employees and contractors working at their manufacturing locations and construction projects.
"I continue to be impressed by the resiliency and dedication of our workforce and I’m confident that together we are taking the necessary precautions to keep our people safe," said Karran. "With a strong commitment to social distancing and working responsibly, we can do our part to flatten the curve."
NOVA Chemicals is building a new polyethylene plant at its new Rokeby Line site adjacent to the existing Corunna plant. The Corunna cracker is being expanded to provide additional ethylene feedstock.
The start-up of the expanded facilities, costing approximately USD2.2 billion, was initially targeted for late 2021.
As MRC reported before, NOVA Chemicals expanded ethylene production capacity by 20% at its cracker in Corunna, Ontario from the previous capacity of about 839,000 tpy. The expansion occurred between 2014 and 2018 and was part of a wave of expansions and upgrades to NOVA's existing facilities near Sarnia, Ontario. Other upgrades in the plan included a debottlenecking of the Moore low-density polyethylene (LDPE) line and a retrofit of the Moore high-density polyethylene (HDPE) line.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 383,760 tonnes in the first two month of 2020, up by 14% year on year. High density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) shipments increased due to the increased capacity utilisation at ZapSibNeftekhim. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 192,760 tonnes in January-February 2020, down by 6% year on year. Homopolymer PP accounted for the main decrease in imports.
NOVA Chemicals Corporation is a plastics and chemical company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and is wholly-owned ultimately by Mubadala Investment Company of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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