Advocates spar over government investment in new bitumen upgraders

EDMONTON – A labour group on Tuesday urged a government committee to support construction of new upgraders to stop oil conglomerates who want to “rip and ship” Alberta’s resources.

The Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future also heard from an industry group that said market forces alone should decide whether a new upgrader is necessary, and from a project proponent who would benefit from provincial support.

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Strathcona County optimistic mothballed bitumen upgrader projects will resume

Strathcona County watched in dismay as the plans for half-a- dozen upgraders disappeared with the 2008-09 global meltdown, recalls Mayor Linda Osinchuk.

But these days, there’s some optimism that at least two of the projects are possible — reviving the mothballed Heartland, also called the B.A. upgrader, already partially built by Calgary-based Value Creation Inc.; and the North West upgrader near Redwater that will turn bitumen into diesel.

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