The Heartland Petrochemical Complex in Fort Saskatchewan is now up and running.
On Tuesday (Jul. 5), Inter Pipeline Ltd. announced it had successfully commissioned the polypropylene plant and has begun initial production.
"A safe commissioning of our polypropylene plant is a crucial step towards commercial production of Heartland Polymers," said Jim Madro, senior vice president of petrochemicals.
The plant is one of only two new sources of polypropylene in over a decade; its location, modern design, and technology make it one of the industry's most sustainably produced and reliable options, according to Inter Pipeline. The complex is expected to generate 65 per cent less greenhouse gas than average global PP facilities around the world.
Polymers made at the complex will be used to manufacture products such as food packaging, textiles, healthcare products, and medical supplies.
"The PP Plant has been producing pellets since late June with polymer grade propylene (PGP) from our storage cavern. The entire Heartland Complex remains on schedule for an integrated start-up in the third quarter of this year, at which point Heartland will begin commercial production."
Additionally, Heartland's design incorporates air cooling instead of water cooling, resulting in a significant reduction in water consumption. The complex will use 80 per cent less water when fully operational than in water-cooled operations.
Construction on the project began in 2018.