Chemical & Petrochemical
ITEAC has four segments:
- Petrochemicals
- Fertilizers
- Inorganic chemicals
- Specialty and fine chemicals
Petrochemicals is the largest of these segments. It benefits from an abundant, competitively priced supply of hydrocarbon feedstocks. Over half of Canada's petrochemical capacity is located in Alberta.
Petrochemical production is primarily ethane based. Ethane is a component of natural gas. It contains two carbon atoms and six hydrogen atoms per molecule. Ethane is converted to ethylene by cracking. The result is two carbon atoms with a double bond and four hydrogen atoms per molecule. Ethylene is used as a building block to make plastics, antifreeze, film, fibers, and other products.
Natural gas is used as a fuel for petrochemical production, as well as a feedstock for fertilizer and methanol production. The chemical sector consumes 40% of the natural gas used in Alberta. This equals six percent of all the natural gas produced in the province, including the ethane used as feedstock.
The petrochemical industry in Alberta continues to grow. The Alberta ind?????ustry is competitive worldwide and enjoys higher labour productivity than the U.S.A. A recently constructed ethylene cracker owned by NOVA Chemicals and Dow Chemical at Joffre is the largest single ethane based cracker in the world. This site with its two existing crackers has the highest capacity of any ethylene production site in the world. The second largest ethane based cracker in the world is the Dow Chemical cracker at Fort Saskatchewan.
