Refining, petrochemicals, and biochemicals

Refining, petrochemicals, and biochemicals

Few people know that Alberta is a leading petrochemical manufacturing province, home to four major ethylene plants with a combined annual production capacity of 8.6 billion pounds. Two of these plants - at Joffre and Fort Saskatchewan - are among the world's largest. Many investment opportunities exists in Alberta’s refining and petrochemical sector,particularly in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, a 582 km region northeast of Edmonton that is home to Canada’s largest concentration of petroleum refining, petrochemical, and chemical processors.

Refining opportunities in Alberta aren’t limited to petrochemicals. Alberta has an emerging biochemicals sector that is using biomass as an alternative feedstock to petrochemicals in the production energy products and industrial chemicals.

Opportunities

Future trends in bitumen production and hydrocarbon upgrading

It is forecast that bitumen production from Alberta's oil sands will reach over three million barrels per day by 2020.

·         Bitumen and the by-products of bitumen upgrading processes are critical feedstocks for production of refined petroleum products, petrochemicals, and fertilizers in Alberta.

·         The Government of Alberta's value-added strategy envisions the development of a world-class hydrocarbon processing hub that optimizes the value of our energy resources in the province through the adoption of new technologies and integration opportunities.