concern. The location itself has low soil
permeability, reducing the risk of contami-
nating groundwater. Strict adherence to
containment and the handling of stored
process fluids, along with a comprehen-
sive groundwater monitoring network, all
help to ensure that the groundwater is
protected.
Any large development will have an impact
on the surrounding wildlife but with the
approval of Alberta Sustainable Resource
Development, a portion of the lands sur-
rounding the project site have been set
aside as a wildlife corridor.
Technology is also playing a role in reduc-
ing the refinery’s footprint. Gasification
technology used in its operations will sig-
nificantly reduce the consumption of natu-
ral gas and turns the low value “bottom of
the barrel” into hydrogen required in the
refining process and pure CO
2
. Low nitro-
gen oxide (NOx) burners will cut down on
the amount of NOx, an air pollutant, that
will be produced during the combustion
process. The sulphur recovery system will
greatly reduce sulphur oxide (SOx) emis-
sions. In fact, it’s expected that the NWR
Sturgeon Refinery will only emit about half
of the sulphur that is allowed under cur-
rent strict Alberta regulations.
Surprisingly, MacGregor explained that
FEBRUARY 2017
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