Regina will soon be home to a $350-million wheat straw pulp mill as Red Leaf Pulp and the City announced Tuesday morning that construction on the new facility will begin in 2022.
The first of it’s kind in Canada, the plant will have the capacity to produce approximately 182,000 tonnes of market pulp annually from waste wheat straw collected and aggregated from local producers.
The fibre produced can be used as a biodegradable alternative to polystyrene packaging as well as other paper products.
Byproducts of the process include a nutrient-rich organic liquid that can be used as fertilizer, and potentially low carbon-intensity biofuels.
Red Leaf says this will result in the creation of 110 permanent full-time jobs and 250 jobs during construction.
“Red Leaf is delighted to be locating in Regina and we look forward to working with the community, local businesses and the region’s growers. Our project provides an opportunity to enhance the utilization of existing resources and diversify revenue sources in the ag-industry while creating a lower carbon future.” said Martin Pudlas, CEO of Red Leaf Pulp in a news release. “We want to thank communities across Saskatchewan for their support, interest and assistance during the location evaluation process. Ultimately Regina’s proximity to major infrastructure and a significant workforce were key considerations in our choice for the initial plant site.”
@RedLeafPulp announced they will build their initial wheat straw pulp facility in @CityofRegina. Construction will start in early 2022 on the $350 Million pulp facility. #sustainabilty #netzero #agriculture #saskatchewan #farmers https://t.co/vcnCORSXk3
— Red Leaf Pulp (@RedLeafPulp) June 1, 2021
“I am very pleased Red Leaf has chosen to locate Canada’s first non-wood pulp mill in Regina. This facility allows our City continued diversified growth in the urban-agricultural economy”, said Mayor Sandra Masters. “It will highlight innovation in one of our core industries, maximize crop value in an environmentally sustainable way and provide valuable jobs in the low carbon energy sector. This is exciting news for Regina and our Province.”
“More than ever, Regina is becoming the epicentre of a sustainable, value-added agriculture economy,” said John Lee, CEO of Economic Development Regina. “We’re proud to have worked closely with Red Leaf throughout this process and we are excited to welcome them to the region. Red Leaf’s announcement means new jobs for Regina citizens and new opportunities for Regina businesses.”
Established in 2019, Red Leaf is developing the first non-wood pulp mill in Canada, producing a unique unbleached product demanded by the USD $350-billion paper and packaging market.
The pulp mill will be located on the west side of Regina, however in the coming months, Red Leaf will hold public consultations to provide more information about the facility, including the exact location.
This announcement follows announcements from Viterra and Cargill to build canola crushing plants also in the immediate Regina area.
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