Canada’s chemical industry spans the length and breadth of the country
Nearly every major chemical company in the world has production or research and development facilities in Canada. Of the 25 largest chemicals companies in the world, 21 have plants in locations across Canada.
Alberta
- Alberta is North America’s low-cost ethylene producer.
- Has the two largest single-train ethylene crackers in the world
- NOVA Chemicals and Dow Chemical’s jointly own the largest single-train ethylene cracker in the world in Joffre, Alberta, with a capacity of 1275 kilo tonnes per year
- Dow’s cracker in Fort Saskatchewan with a capacity of 1200 kilo tonnes per year follows close behind
- Has a huge build-up in ethylene-based petrochemical capacity, with recent investments in ethylene, polyethylene, alpha olefins, and ethylene glycol
- Current investment opportunities include production of petrochemicals from oil sands, ethylene derivatives, polystyrene, or polypropylene
Ontario
- The province’s main concentration of petrochemicals is in the Sarnia area, which is home to two ethylene crackers
- A secondary petrochemical centre exists in the Kingston area
- Has excellent capacity for specialty chemicals production in the Toronto to Windsor corridor
- Has a broader diversity of petrochemical production than in Alberta
- Another advantage is the availability of ethylene, propylene, aromatics, and specialties
Quebec
- The province’s chemical industry is centred in Montréal
- Range of product diversity is similar to that of Ontario, though smaller in scale
- Home to liquids-based ethylene cracker
- Demonstrates a stronger emphasis on inorganic chemicals production, given the electricity advantage
- Availability of propylene, aromatics, terephthalic acid
- New investments in recent years include: linear alkyl benzene, terephthalic acid, polytrimethyl terephthalate
Nova Scotia
- Ethylene-based petrochemical investment is possible, as growth in gas development takes place