The new Cargill canola processing facility being built in Regina is now more than half complete, the company said Tuesday.
Announced in April 2021, Cargill broke ground on the facility at the Global Transportation Hub in West Regina in July 2022 and now anticipates opening in 2025. The company originally stated the plant – which at the time was expected to cost $350 million - would be operational for 2024.
“The current construction environment is full of unique challenges and this project has faced many headwinds since we broke ground, but we are committed to becoming a best-in-class option for canola growers in the region, along with helping decarbonize the global food and fuel supply chain,” said Jeff Vassart, president of Cargill Canada.
The new facility will have the capacity to process 1 million tonnes of canola per year, producing crude canola oil for food and biofuel markets and canola meal for animal feed.
To support rail and road infrastructure around the new plant, Cargill said it also recently completed the purchase of just over 400 acres near the Global Transportation Hub. This will allow for better connection to existing rail lines, providing efficient access to destination markets for both meal pellets and canola oil.
Additionally, the site has additional optionality to bring canola seed to Regina when needed, providing a new destination for farmers in Western Canada.
The new Cargill plant is among a number of new construction and expansion projects that are expected to push Canadian canola crush capacity from the current 11.2 million tonnes annually to just over 17 million over the next five years.
