BRANDON – A nitric acid plant built to fuel the American war machine has been recycled into part of a plant used to make fertilizer on the Prairies.
Simplot Canada Ltd. has officially opened a $25 million expanded production plant in Brandon. The facility includes a nitric acid plant the company disassembled and relocated from Illinois.
Company officials said the plant was constructed by the U.S. department of defence during the Vietnam war. Its production was used to make ammunition. The plant was mothballed shortly after it began operation because it was no longer needed.
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Simplot bought the plant last year and with some minor engineering, was able to move it “bolt for bolt” to Brandon, where it will be used to bolster the company’s production of fertilizer, said John Malinowski, manager of sales and marketing.
Meet changing market
Malinowski said more prairie farmers are adopting conservation tillage which has heightened demand for liquid forms of fertilizer. He said the expansion means Simplot will have more flexibility to meet changing market demands.
“It will increase our opportunities to make all products derived from nitric acid,” said Malinowski.
