Nova Chemicals Corp. is making substantial reductions in its construction activities in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are adjusting construction work on our new AST2 polyethylene facility and Corunna cracker expansion projects in Ontario to temporarily focus on only the most critical work, which will result in a reduction of approximately 90% of our total construction workforce,” Nova Chemicals CEO Todd Karran said.
Karran said that the company’s commissioning and construction activities have been suspended on its furnace refurbishment project in Alberta.
“It is too early to say what impact COVID-19 will have on our overall construction schedule, and a phased ramp-up will be considered at the appropriate time to allow for the safe completion of construction activities,” he added.
Nova Chemicals’ manufacturing sites remain operational and product delivery has not been impacted currently by the pandemic.
Chemical industry has been listed as essential critical infrastructure in the U.S. and an important place of work in Canada.
“Despite borders being closed to the north and south, we do not anticipate any issues with cross-border shipments at this time as trade is considered critical and distribution/supply chains in North America are open,” Karran said.
“We have adjusted polyethylene and expandable polystyrene production to provide sufficient supply of resins for food packaging, medical supplies, and other high-demand goods,” he added.