Nova says polyethylene unit 65% complete, projects 2022 startup for Corunna site

Nova Chemicals said its new Ontario polyethylene unit has passed 65% completion, and the company has projected its Corunna site turnaround for a 2022 startup.

Since the growth projects began in 2017, the combined investments cost about C$2.5 billion (US$2 billion).

"The company estimates that both projects will commence full startup activities in late 2022, after the Corunna site turnaround, which is targeted for spring 2022," Nova Chemicals said April 13 in press release shared with S&P Global Platts.

The new Advanced SCLAIRTECH technology (AST) polyethylene unit at the new Rokeby Site in St. Clair Township, Ontario, will have about 1 billion lb/year capacity, the press release said. The cracker expansion will provide ethylene feedstock to the new AST facility, expanding the existing unit's capacity by more than 50 percent.

"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 Chemicals' president and CEO.

Meanwhile, the Corunna site produces 1.8 billion lb of ethylene and about 250 million lb of co-products annually, the company said.

"Corunna provides feedstock to the Moore site and St. Clair River sites, which convert the ethylene into 1.38 billion pounds of polyethylene. Ethane, a component of natural gas, is the primary feedstock for ethylene production at Corunna site," the company said.