Sarnia - Economy and Infrastructure

Economy and Infrastructure

The petrochemical industry is the main economic force in Sarnia. The Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board states in its March 2011 Labour Market Report that: "Even though employment in both the petrochemical and agricultural industries has declined significantly in recent years, these two industries remain central drivers of the Sarnia Lambton economy."

When World War Two threatened tropical sources of natural latex for rubber, Sarnia was selected as the site to spearhead development of synthetic petroleum-based rubbers for war materials, and Polymer Corporation was built by Dow Chemical at the request of the Government of Canada. Large pipelines bring Alberta oil to Sarnia, where oil refining and petrochemical production have become mainstays of the city's economy. Shell Canada, Imperial Oil, and Suncor Energy (Sunoco) operate refineries in Sarnia. Large salt beds found under the city became a source of chlorine and other significant ingredients in the success of Chemical Valley. Chemical companies operating in Sarnia include NOVA Chemicals, Bayer (Lanxess and H.C. Starck), Imperial Oil, Royal Group Technologies, Cabot Corporation and Ethyl Corporation.

Dow ceased the last of its operations at its Sarnia site in 2009. The plant was decommissioned, and the land has been sold to neighbouring TransAlta Energy Corporation. TransAlta produces power and steam for industry, and is the largest natural gas co-generation plant in Canada. TransAlta has created the Bluewater Energy Park on the former Dow site.

Lanxess is the sole producer of approved food-grade butyl rubber, which is used to make chewing gum, and its Sarnia facility is the only one which currently makes the material. Lanxess has created the Bio-industrial Park Sarnia within the boundaries of its Sarnia plant.

Chemical Valley and the surrounding area are home to sixty-two facilities and refineries. These industrial complexes are the heart of Sarnia's infrastructure and economy. They provide thousands of jobs, not only in the plants and complexes themselves, but also in surrounding businesses. The huge industrial area also causes many environmental problems with both air and water pollution (see separate section).

See also: Environmental impact of the chemical industry in Sarnia

Sarnia is the location of Enbridge's Sarnia Photovoltaic Power Plant. The facility went into full commercial operation in December 2009, with 20 MW of power. As of September 2010, the plan was the largest photovoltaic (PV) solar power generation facility in the world, putting out 97MW

The University of Western Ontario established a Research Park in Sarnia as part of its expansion. "The 80-acre Western University Research Park, Sarnia-Lambton Campus was established in 2003 as a joint initiative of the County of Lambton, the City of Sarnia, and Western University." The Research Park is also the location of the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre, Canada’s centre for the commercialization of industrial biotechnology.

Bio-based industries are locating in Sarnia. In 2012 BioAmber began construction of North America's first biosuccinic acid plant at the Bio-Industrial Park Sarnia. The company has announced that it already plans to double the size of this new $80 million plant. Solutions4C02 is developing a 50,000 square foot demonstration facility at the Bluewater Energy Park in Sarnia. The company caputres waste gas/water streams to process into value added co-products. PlantForm Corporation, a Canadian biotech startup company focused on producing ultra-low-cost therapeutic antibody drugs, opened an office at the Western University Research Park, Sarnia-Lambton Campus, in 2011. KmX Corporation began setting up a pilot plant at the Western University Research Park, Sarnia-Lambton Campus, in Summer 2012. The pilot plant will produce biobutanol.