Alberta Aims To Become Specialty Chemicals Producer

Abstract

The Canadian resource-rich province of Alberta wants its chemical industry to be more than a basic petrochemicals producer. Like many areas blessed with abundant natural resources, Alberta is trying to upgrade these resources, rather than ship them out of the province with little or no value added. As far as chemicals are concerned, Alberta officials consider the province's existing—and substantial—petrochemical base as only the first step in the upgrading process. Now, they want to build upon that existing strength and maximize Alberta's potential to produce higher-valueadded products. One way to do this, of course, is to increase the existing petrochemical base and make more of the same products that already are produced there. The other is to move further downstream along the chemical product chain. Alberta intends to follow both routes. The province's basic petrochemical expansion slowed dramatically during the economic doldrums of the past two years. Now it is beginning to ...