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In the grips of an Alberta chill — both from brutal winter weather and the drop in energy investment — Monday’s announcement of a new $4.5-billion petrochemical facility felt like a chinook rolled into the province.

It took a while to arrive, but it’s a welcome respite.

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Calgary-based Pembina Pipeline Corp. and its international partner — the petrochemical arm of Kuwait Petroleum Corp. — gave the green light to a propane dehydrogenation plant and polypropylene upgrading facility, located northeast of Edmonton.

The Canada Kuwait Petrochemical Corp. joint-venture will use about 23,000 barrels per day of propane from Western Canada and propel it along the value chain.

The complex will eventually turn it into polypropylene, used to make an array of plastic products, from food containers and consumer electronics to automobile parts.

For the industry and Alberta government, which is offering billions of dollars in incentives to kick-start additional petrochemical and energy infrastructure investments, Monday’s news represents progress.