Trimming costs and tapping more markets are the two main goals at a canola crush plant in central Manitoba that was pulled out of dormancy late last year.
Associated Proteins Inc. has set out to make several improvements to the crushing plant at Ste. Agathe, Man.
That work has included installing natural gas to the plant, leasing a fleet of oil tanker cars, extending the rail line and upgrading the plant’s oil refining capabilities.
Most of those efforts are complete, said plant manager Warren Andrews, noting that the facility was shut down for a couple of months while the work was done.
Read Also
Ag in Motion speaker highlights need for biosecurity on cattle operations
Ag in Motion highlights need for biosecurity on cattle farms. Government of Saskatchewan provides checklist on what you can do to make your cattle operation more biosecure.
Canola crushing will resume this fall, probably at about 500 tonnes per day, Andrews said. That is about half the capacity the plant is capable of, but Andrews said crushing volumes will increase soon after production resumes.
Installing natural gas will reduce energy costs. Meanwhile, to combat prohibitive trucking costs, Andrews said the company extended the rail line from the crush plant to connect with a main line of Canadian National Railway. That enables it to move more of its product by rail.
The upgrade to the crushing plant will result in the ability to produce what Andrews described as “super degummed oil” that processors prefer.
“It’s just easier for the refiners to handle,” Andrews said. “It still needs to go for refining.”
Associated Proteins intends to do more upgrades that will enable the company to further refine the oil.
The crushing plant also produces canola meal to market to Manitoba’s livestock industry.
Associated Proteins Inc. announced late last year that it was buying the crushing plant at Ste. Agathe. The plant sat idle for years after its original owner went bankrupt in the late 1990s.
There are two other canola crush plants in Manitoba, at Harrowby and Altona.
