Heartland 101

From concept to completion, it might take 20 to 35 years or more for a major piece of transportation infrastructure. This timeline can vary depending on the size of the project. For a project with major bridges, interchanges, and flyovers, it takes decades of planning.

Planning ahead, and putting together an emergency preparedness kit, can make a big difference to your safety and your ability to bounce back from an emergency. In addition to first aid kits, flashlights and blankets, it is suggested that copies of important documents are in your kit to ‘grab and go’.

Facilities in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland take advantage of spring weather. For many companies, spring signals the start of turnaround season and the continuation of construction projects. Depending on the facility, a turnaround can last as short as a few days, or up to a month or longer. Nine companies have planned turnarounds this year, and construction activity continues on the Sturgeon Refinery.

Flipping through your local newspaper, you may notice ads from time to time about industrial companies renewing an Operating Approval. Just like the renewal of a driver’s license and passport at set intervals, most industrial facilities must renew their Operating Approval every ten years.

Most of the time, air quality in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is of low risk to health. However, with frigid temperatures like we’ve experienced lately, combined with calm winds, pollutants can be trapped close to the ground. One of the simplest ways that individuals can help reduce pollutants is by reducing idling time.

Mega projects in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland most often use modular construction for a large portion of the facility. Parts and pieces are sourced from all over the world. But instead of all the individual pieces arriving on site and assembled in order, many of those pieces are sent to offsite module fabrication yards or shops.

Risk assessment, response plans and access to resources are elements of industry and community emergency management programs. Confirming and improving these plans through drills, exercises and simulations not only enhances public safety, it also satisfies certain regulatory requirements.

More than six decades ago, construction began on the first industrial facility in the region. Today, several of the key advantages and commitment to value adding play a key role, just like in the 1950s.

NCIA has been harnessing the collective knowledge, goodwill, and expertise of its more than 20 member companies for more than a decade. Serving as a common voice for industry, the group has been a catalyst for collaborative work and partnerships that are making a profound difference in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland. An example of this can be found in an innovative 10-year agreement between Aux Sable and Shell Canada.

Between carbon capture and storage, offgas processing, energy mapping, and others, companies in the Heartland are exploring and adopting greener projects in our energy sector. This includes Field Upgrading who has a pilot plant that’s testing a cheaper and cleaner way to upgrade bitumen.