CAMROSE, Alta. – A small town about an hour’s drive north of Calgary has been chosen as the site of the largest biofuel refinery in the country.
Dominion Energy says its new $400 million plant will be located at Innisfail, Alta.
It will consist of a 380 million litre capacity canola oil crushing facility, 380 million litre capacity biodiesel facility and 380 million litre capacity ethanol facility.
“When you add up all the pieces of the puzzle, Innisfail came up on top,” said Curtis Chandler, president of Dominion Energy of Florida.
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A combination of proximity to main rail lines, good crops in the area, proximity to markets and availability of water were key factors.
Chandler hopes construction can begin by July and be completed in 12 to 16 months.
Construction is expected to create about 400 jobs. Once the facility is built, it’s expected to employ 90 people full time and another 220 spin-off jobs.
When completed, the plant is expected to use one million tonnes of wheat and 800,000 tonnes of canola each year, which will be drawn from a 250 kilometre radius of the plant.
A Dominion Energy ethanol plant in Collingwood, Ont., is expected to be completed by June.
Innisfail mayor Ken Graham said the plant would have huge economic spin-offs for the community, town and local farmers.
