Richardson Oilseed Ltd. will soon be reclaiming the title of the biggest canola crushing plant in Yorkton, Sask.
That honour was snatched away from the company on Sept. 7, 2006, shortly after Richardson’s morning announcement that it was building an 840,000 tonne facility in the Yorkton.
That afternoon, Louis Dreyfus Canada issued a news release saying it was constructing a slightly larger 850,000 tonne crush plant in the same location.
Richardson’s $170 million facility opened in June 2010. Two years later, the company is announcing plans to expand its plant by 25 percent to process more than one million tonnes of canola per year.
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“Strong demand from domestic and international food markets, which is being driven by growing consumer interest in healthier food products and biodiesel mandates, are fueling increased demand for canola oil,” Pat Van Osch, general manager of Richardson Oilseed, said in a news release.
“With strong origination capability through our Richardson Pioneer network, we are in an excellent position to expand our footprint at Yorkton and increase processing capacity to keep up with increasing global demand for canola oil.”
Construction is scheduled to begin in the fall and is expected to be complete by late 2013.
Bunge Canada is also expanding its plants in Altona, Man. and Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., which will make it the largest canola crusher in Western Canada, closely followed by Richardson and Cargill, which will tied for second place after the Richardson expansion.
