In February 2008, the National Energy Board approved an Enbridge Pipelines proposal to construct and operate the Canadian portion of a new 1,600 km, 36-inch diameter crude oil pipeline that would run from Hardisty, Alberta, south of the border to Superior, Wisconsin. Known as the Alberta Clipper, the new pipeline would cost an estimated $2.4 Billion to build and carry the initial capacity of 450,000 barrels of oil a day.
To move that enormous amount of crude smoothly through the pipeline, Enbridge Pipelines installed nine pumping stations. In February 2009, Enbridge awarded Aecon, in joint venture partnership with R. B. Somerville, a contract to fabricate and install three (3) pumping stations along the southern Manitoba portion of the pipeline.
The three stations contained large diameter pipe installed with absolute precision and care to ensure strict requirements were met toward a safe and flawless operation.
From the Aecon perspective, the project utilized three internal divisions: Aecon Infrastructure, Aecon Industrial and Aecon Utility Engineering.
The project was successfully completed under ICI collective agreement.