Global agribusiness giant Cargill is halfway through construction of its new canola plant in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Although work had started on the site at the company’s Global Transportation Hub in West Regina in 2022, the project had faced “challenges and many headwinds” but was now scheduled to open next year, Cargill said on 16 July.
The US$350M facility would have the capacity to process 1M tonnes/year of canola to produce crude canola oil for food and biofuel markets and canola meal for animal feed.
“The addition of the Regina facility to the Cargill network … will connect the Canadian canola industry to the expanding domestic and global market opportunities for vegetable oil, high quality meal and biofuels,” Cargill Canada president Jeff Vassart said.
To support rail and road infrastructure around the new plant, Cargill said it had purchased just over 162ha (400 acres) of land near the Global Transportation Hub.
This would allow for better connection to existing rail lines, providing access for meal pellets and canola oil markets, the company said.
In addition, this would mean the site could bring canola seed to Regina when needed, providing a new destination for farmers in western Canada.