Heartland 101 March 2016: Turnarounds and Construction Ongoing in Heartland
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Spring means the start of camping, soccer, and gardening. To the facilities in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, spring means the start of turnaround season and the continuation of construction projects.
Warmer weather in the spring and summer makes it easier to perform the regular maintenance that’s required on an industrial facility. This involves equipment inspections and, if necessary, repairs, replacements, and technology upgrades. Spring also allows for certain construction activities to progress more quickly and with less difficulty than in frigid winter temperatures.
Why turnaround?
Warmer weather in the spring and summer makes it easier to perform the regular maintenance that’s required on an industrial facility. This involves equipment inspections and, if necessary, repairs, replacements, and technology upgrades. Spring also allows for certain construction activities to progress more quickly and with less difficulty than in frigid winter temperatures.
Why turnaround?
Regular maintenance ensures the facilities are safe and efficient. Because certain maintenance tasks can’t be done unless production is decreased or stopped altogether, companies must schedule turnarounds on a regular basis. Depending on the facility, a turnaround can last as short as a few days, or up to a month or longer.
Impact of industrial activity
Construction and turnarounds generate additional local spending on goods and services. They also create employment, as extra manpower is required to complete these projects.
This added manpower may result in a noticeable increase in traffic on local highways. In some cases, such as the Sturgeon Refinery project, a busing program helps alleviate some of the traffic challenges.
Curious about what you see, hear or smell?
Many companies use the UPDATEline to keep the community informed about turnaround and construction activities. Call the UPDATEline at 1.866.653.9959 to access pre-recorded messages about industry activity 24 hours a day.
Notable turnarounds and construction
Construction activities at North West Redwater Partnership’s Sturgeon Refinery site will be ongoing throughout 2016. Companies with planned turnarounds this year include:
| Spring (Mar/Apr/May) |
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| Summer (Jun/Jul/mid-Aug) |
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| Fall (Late-Aug/Sep/Oct) |
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