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Carbon-neutral petrochemical plant to create 4,000 jobs in Alberta

By Jesse Boily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

TOWN & COUNTRY NEWS

Northern Petrochemical Corporation plans to invest $2.5 billion into a carbon-neutral petrochemical facility in the Greenview Industrial Gateway.

Premier Jason Kenney made the announcement Wednesday morning at Evergreen Park in Grande Prairie.

The facility is expected to create about 4,000 jobs during construction and 400 permanent jobs once completed.

“Processing natural gas to carbon-neutral, value-added products at the source is the right path to lower overall emissions in the future,” said Tyler Olsen, Municipal District of Greenview reeve.

“This project might be based on industry, but with the overall attention to creating an eco-industrial development, it is one that Greenview can be proud of.”

The plant will be a carbon-neutral ammonia and methanol production facility, and the first of its kind in Canada, says the province.

It will produce “exceptionally low-carbon products” that will later be used in energy, agricultural, and chemical industries.

“The announcement of this huge new job-creating project adds even more momentum to Alberta’s exciting economic recovery,” said Kenney.

The plant is the first significant investment into the new industrial hub in Greenview, according to the province.

“Through measures such as the Job Creation Tax Cut, red tape reduction, and programs like the Alberta Petrochemicals Incentive Program, we’re creating an environment that attracts investment and creates jobs and opportunities for Albertans,” said Travis Toews, MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti.

“The Alberta Petrochemicals Incentive Program (APIP), introduced in 2020, was designed to encourage investments in petrochemical facilities and help diversify Alberta’s natural gas sector,” the province stated in a media release.

“This investment is another example of how Alberta is attracting world-scale hydrogen production facilities via blue ammonia and methanol products,” said Dale Nally, associate minister of natural gas and electricity.

“The Alberta Recovery Plan is working, diversifying our economy and creating new opportunities for everyday Albertans.”

The province says that the Greenview Industrial Gateway will offer a set of integrated services like carbon capture, utilization and storage, transportation by rail, and access to significant natural gas feedstocks.