A new heavy oil plant in Edam officially opened Tuesday.
The Edam East facility is the first of three new thermal projects Calgary-based Husky Energy is setting up in the province this year.
“This is very significant for the province’s economy,” Premier Brad Wall said at the Edam East opening. “This is 600 construction jobs announced here today for two new thermal oil projects and 60 full-time jobs on top of that.”
Husky CEO Asim Ghosh said projects like Edam East are a way for the company to remain profitable in a tough economic climate.
“They’re a very important part of positioning Husky. In total by the end of this year, 40 per cent of our oil will come from projects such as these, which on an ongoing basis will require very little capital to keep the production flat,” said Ghosh.
It takes 30 months for one these plants to be built, including all regulatory hurdles and inspections.
The plant will employee up to 30 full-time workers.