First Pellets for the First Time

Our Heartland Polymers brand has achieved a key milestone in filling its first railcar with polypropylene (PP) produced at our Heartland PP facility in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. The operation is the only one of its kind in North America, offering the market one of only two new sources of PP in over a decade. Due to its unique location, modern design and technology and transport optionality, Heartland is expected to be one of the most sustainably produced, reliable options in the industry.  

We continue to advance towards integrated commercial production of the Heartland Petrochemical Complex (HPC) in a safe and reliable manner. Utilizing the strategic connectivity of our adjacent Redwater assets, we are starting up the facilities on a sequential basis beginning with the PP plant this week, to be followed by the start-up of the propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant in Q3. We intend to gradually ramp-up production through the remainder of the year.  

Industry Leading Reliability

The PP plant was commissioned using PGP feedstock from a cavern at Inter Pipeline’s Redwater Olefinic Fractionator. The primary source of feedstock will be an on-site PDH plant, where propane will be turned into PGP. The propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant is expected to enter integrated service with the PP plant in the third quarter of this year, making it the first integrated complex of its kind in North America. The optionality of both the storage cavern and direct on-site production of PGP ensures exceptional reliability for Heartland Polymers customers. 
 
The HPC, where Heartland Polymers is produced, was first announced by Inter Pipeline in late 2017 with construction beginning in early 2018. Once in service, the operation will be the first integrated propane dehydrogenation and polypropylene complex in North America.  

Deliberate design and technology choices paired with local feedstock means Heartland is expected to generate 65 per cent less greenhouse gas than average global PP facilities around the world and 35 per cent less than comparable North America operations. Due to its integrated nature, the Complex is designed to utilize by-products ethane and hydrogen to fuel power production in the cogeneration unit (CUB) to make up approximately 32 per cent of the operation’s total fuel usage, reducing the total carbon footprint by approximately 130,000 tonnes annually. Due to the design choice to utilize air cooling in the operation instead of water cooling, when fully in service, the Complex is expected to utilize 80 per cent less make-up water than if water cooled. 
 
Polypropylene, recyclable polymer #5, is one of the most widely used polymers in the world and can be found in medical equipment, multi-use food and beverage containers and textiles among other things.  
  
Learn more about our polypropylene brand by visiting the Heartland Polymers website.