Manufacturing Overview

Canada's Newest Pacific Gateway

Strategically located between Vancouver and Anchorage, the Kitimat Valley is one of North America's most promising trade and manufacturing locations.

A Proven Track Record

The Kitimat Valley's globally-competitive economy has produced up to 11% of British Columbia's annual manufacturing gross domestic product.  More than sixty years of local heavy industry means that essential infrastructure, an experienced labour force, and a comprehensive supply & service sector are in place.

Capability and Capacity

More than twenty large greenfield sites (10,000+ha) with industrial development potential have been defined.  Sites range from flat valley-bottom land to tide-water. 

The Kitimat Valley is--like the Fraser Valley--one of only two large flat valleys on the British Columbia coast.  Transportation infrastructure in northwest BC, however, has available capacity; costs attributable to congestion, delay and slow turnaround should be at or near zero.

Globally Connected

Over a billion dollars of manufactured products and inland exports are shipped annually from private terminals to world markets through the Kitimat Valley's large deep-sea harbour. Rail and highway networks extend far into the continent, accessing inland trade centers and resources.  Air connections and advanced telecommunications provide secure access to all global locations for trade and business purposes.

Urban Lifestyle

Cultural activities, urban amenities and a mild west coast climate provide an extraordinary quality of life to all 35,000 residents of this region. Lofty mountain ranges, rushing rivers and spectacular ocean passages provide an unparalleled setting for business.

Bridge to the World

Access to western Canada's natural resources, and proximity to key markets in Asia and North America, make the Kitimat Valley an advantageous site for manufacturing operations.

The search for a strategic global location has motivated several international companies to choose the Kitimat Valley.  The principal manufactured good from this region is now aluminum; paper and lumber, methanol and ammonia were also once significant local products.  Liquid natural gas, petroleum products and aggregate developments are on the horizon.  Such diversity will enhance the opportunities for industry to discover new synergies.

Rio Tinto Alcan represents 1/3 of BC's primary metal manufacturing.  The Kitimat smelter is BC's largest value-added industry - with the capacity to produce 277,000 MT of aluminum annually.  A modernization project is underway to increase production to 400,000 MT.  Raw materials are imported from Australia and Korea; finished ingots are exported to the US, the Pacific Rim and Europe.

Methanex is the world's largest producer and marketer of chemical grade methanol, an alternative fuel synthesized from natural gas.  The Kitimat facility was North America's first integrated petrochemical plant at tidewater, producing 500,000 tonnes of methanol annually up to 2005.  Natural gas feedstock was supplied via pipeline from northern BC and Alberta.  Methanex  retained transshipment facilities to move its own and EnCana products until 2011.  Cenovus is the current owner of the plant site and wharf facility.

Eurocan Pulp & Paper Eurocan's specialty kraft packaging papers accounted for 40% of Canadian sackkraft exports and 70% of liner board exports until West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. suspended local operations in early 2010.  Pulp logs and sawmill chips were brought in by rail and truck to be converted to paper. Processing chemicals were delivered by rail from BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Oregon.  Eurocan shipped their specialty papers to Europe, Asia, Middle East, Central America, South America and US-customers from a private wharf.  The wharf also exported lumber from selected inland sawmills.