18th Annual Alberta Chemistry Day – bringing together industry and government to talk opportunities and challenges

The Chemistry Industry Association of Canada (CIAC) hosted the 18th Annual Alberta Chemistry Day in Edmonton on Wednesday, November 8. Sponsored by Shell Chemicals Canada, the event provided an opportunity to dialogue on issues impacting the chemical manufacturing sector in Alberta; to better understand industry and government perspectives on these issues; and, to renew existing relationships and make new ones.

Participants included representatives from the government of Alberta, CIAC staff and member-companies, as well as others involved in, or associated with, the business of chemistry in Alberta.

In his opening remarks — Alberta’s Opportunity in a Global Industry —  Bob Masterson, CIAC President and CEO,  spoke to the audience about  “four global scale projects under consideration in Canada with a book value nearing $12 billion, with over $8 billion of that in Alberta.” Adding that “we are operating in a Canadian environment where policy makers appear steadfastly reluctant to take advantage of the few globally-leading resources and factors playing in our favour,” he reiterated the importance of governments at all levels to facilitate investment in innovation, enabling Canadian chemistry manufacturers to be environmentally and economically sustainable.

The keynote speaker was Margaret McCuaig-Boyd, Minister of Energy. The Minister and her department have been strong champions for the chemistry sector in Alberta, and the CIAC appreciated her participation in the event. CIAC looks forward to seeing the Energy Diversification Advisory Committee’s (EDAC) recommendations to government later this Fall. The expectation is that these will help focus attention on the investment opportunity in resource value-added chemical manufacturing in the province.

The Day’s program also included three government/industry panels:

  • NAFTA Renegotiation – Opportunity or Threat for the Chemical Sector in Alberta?
  • Proposed Federal Clean Fuel Standard: Federal/Provincial approaches to GHG reductions – Complimentary or Incompatible?
  • Industrial Process Efficiency: Opportunity for emission reductions in the chemical manufacturing sector in Alberta and program design elements – Emissions Reduction Alberta and Industry Perspectives.

Additionally, Alan Fogwill, President and CEO of The Canadian Energy Research Institute (CERI), presented preliminary findings of a soon to be released study on the Economic Impacts and Market Challenges for the Methane to Derivatives Petrochemical Sub-Sector in Canada.

Thank you to all the participants and panellists. We look forward to hosting Alberta Chemistry Day once again next year.