In the maintenance industry, a turnaround is a scheduled event in the operational lifecycle of an industrial facility such as refineries, chemical plants, and gas processing plants. During a turnaround, an entire unit or selected sections of a unit are temporarily shut down for maintenance, inspection, and repairs.
These turnarounds typically occur annually or every few years, lasting from several days to several weeks. The GPMC I NMC, your maintenance industry experts, have been at the forefront of the unionized maintenance industry across Canada since 1952, when it negotiated its first contract at what is now the Shell refinery in Sarnia, Ontario.
Turnarounds typically involve various activities such as equipment cleaning, repairs, replacements, and internal inspections, as well as identifying and resolving production constraints. Because turnarounds require a halt in production, they are often strategically planned to minimize financial and market impacts. This is why all scheduled maintenance must be performed by skilled tradespeople.
A Shutdown or a Turnaround?
Although the terms “shutdown“ and “turnaround” are sometimes used interchangeably, they have distinct meanings and serve different purposes within the maintenance industry.
A shutdown typically involves the full pause of operations in a specific section or the entire plant due to an emergency, economic challenge, or other factors.
Alternately, a turnaround refers to a planned stoppage of production during which various maintenance, repair, inspection, and testing activities are performed on equipment and facilities. The turnaround process minimizes unplanned downtime, ensures operational efficiency, and maintains regulatory compliance.
What the GPMC | NMC Provides
The GPMC I NMC constituents provide maintenance customers with safe, competent, and qualified skilled tradespeople required to maintain these complex industrial facilities. For over seventy years, the predictability and stability of our collective agreements have assisted our contractors in the development of pragmatic, flexible approaches to upcoming projects and provided valuable information they can use to bid on maintenance work. Skilled tradespeople can earn good money in stable, long-term jobs that continue long after construction is completed.
Turnarounds This Year
The GPMC I NMC signatory employers have been busy this year and have already completed several turnarounds in 2024. In April, Suncor began its turnaround at its base plant in Fort McMurray with an expected duration of 61 days.
The GPMC I NMC has been actively involved in the planned Suncor Sarnia turnarounds. For close to 70 years, Suncor’s Sarnia refinery has been a significant contributor to Ontario’s fuel supply. Refineries, like Suncor, require regular maintenance to keep operating safely and in optimal condition. Suncor Mackay River in Fort McMurray has also announced a planned Fall turnaround set to begin in September.
Another recent turnaround took place at Syncrude, which was completed on May 24, requiring multiple contractors and lasting 58 days in duration. Syncrude has also planned their shutdown beginning July 1, with planned pitstops being incorporated into their turnaround plan.
A successful large-scale annual turnaround at the Co-op Refinery in Regina in April lasted approximately 47 days and required a turnaround workforce of up to 3,200 workers onsite daily. The Co-op refinery was taken down for repairs, maintenance, and upgrades as part of the project. Turnarounds in industrial maintenance are a critical part of ensuring that refineries continue to operate safely and reliably.
Nova (Joffre) is presently completing two back-to-back turnarounds in Red Deer which began on June 3 and is expected to be 86 days in duration, with a similar event planned to start later this year.
Highly Skilled Members
The experience and expertise of the GPMC I NMC and their highly skilled members have enabled clients to complete complex, large-scale maintenance projects for over 70 years. Numerous Fall 2024 turnarounds have already been announced, including Nutrien (Redwater) in Edmonton, set to begin on September 1 with an expected duration of 45 days.
Irving Oil has recently announced Operation Mallard, the Fall turnaround planned for St. John, NB, beginning on September 10 through October 20. The Mallard, a native bird species to the Maritimes, embodies important characteristics necessary for a successful turnaround, such as commitment and resilience. It also represents the idea of change, new beginnings, and hope, making it an ideal symbol for the 2024 Fall turnaround in the region.
Another planned turnaround this Fall will take place at IOL Nanticoke and is expected to cost the company $80 million. In addition to this turnaround, the company announced that it plans to complete turnarounds at all three of its refineries in 2024. The IOL Nanticoke refinery, located in southwestern Ontario, supplies markets with products that include gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, asphalt, heavy fuel oil, and home heating fuel.
As the busy turnaround season begins, the supply of skilled labour is challenging because of the unprecedented demand for construction and maintenance across Canada. However, the opportunities for safe, skilled, competent, and qualified tradespeople will be abundant, and the GPMC I NMC is committed to working with our employer partners to ensure that the needs of our clients are met from coast to coast.
Any client looking to eliminate the risk of not securing the right skilled labour at the right time needs to align itself with one of the many employers operating under the GPMA I NMA Agreements managed by the GPMC I NMC. Industry professionals can better prepare and plan for these turnarounds while ensuring continued operational efficiency and safety. The affiliated unions of the GPMC I NMC can secure safe, skilled, and competent craft personnel from their sister local unions across North America for these types of events. No other organization can do what the GPMC I NMC does.
When a company requires thousands of professional skilled workers for a major maintenance event such as a turnaround, requiring a compressed schedule, the GPMC I NMC is the only organization to make this happen. The GPMC | NMC is your maintenance industry expert.
The GPMC I NMC would like to thank our unionized tradespeople who report nationwide to the various maintenance sites and ply their trade to bring highly complex, intense, and challenging turnarounds to completion. We are proud of what our members accomplish year after year. Our members and partners have stood up and delivered since 1952.