Saskatchewan Mining and Minerals Inc. to begin construction on SOP production upgrade by late 2021

Construction is scheduled to begin by late 2021. The upgraded facility is expected to be complete by the end of 2023 and will produce 150 000 tpy of SOP.

SMMI senior management’s decision to proceed with this facility upgrade was primarily based on the completion of a favourable Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) by the Saskatoon office of Wood Group. In addition, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment’s determination that this expansion is not a development and therefore will not require further environmental approvals, and the Saskatchewan Government’s conditional approval for funding of this major upgrade through the Saskatchewan Chemical Fertilizer Incentive also played significant roles in the decision to proceed.

Construction on the upgrade is expected to take up to two years and will generate up to 700 000 labour hours. Once complete, the addition of SOP production will result in an estimated 50% increase in jobs at the Chaplin facility on an ongoing basis. According to Lyle Stewart, MLA for Lumsden - Morse: “As we emerge and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, Saskatchewan’s rural communities and industries will play a vital role in that recovery. Saskatchewan Mining and Minerals’ SOP fertilizer upgrade is leading that charge and will help us deliver on our mandates of growing our natural resource and agricultural economies, creating jobs and growing Saskatchewan exports.”

“The Government of Saskatchewan has been engaged and highly supportive in their efforts to get behind SMMI, as it seems our project is directly aligned with their 10-year plan to create jobs, stimulate the economy, and to help build a strong economy and quality of life for Saskatchewan people.” said Rodney McCann, President of Saskatchewan Mining and Minerals Inc.

The agreement by Veolia Water Technologies to develop the process design has been integral to the advancement of this project. This facility upgrade is planning to implement a cutting-edge design and technology — the first of its kind in Canada — that promises to be up to 25% more energy efficient than the technology currently being used to produce SOP.

“SMMI’s fertilizer production upgrade is an exciting move forward, with a dedication to sustainability. We are proud to partner with SMMI on this project and look forward to what’s to come,” said Jim Brown, CEO of Veolia Water Technologies Americas.

“Saskatchewan is the only place on this planet that has the abundance of natural resources, the infrastructure, reputation, climate, people, and progressive supportive government to allow for a project like this,” said McCann. “In these challenging times, it seems only natural for an absolute ‘only in Saskatchewan’ opportunity to take centre stage in the rapidly growing global plant nutrition industry.”

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/potash/24032021/saskatchewan-mining-and-minerals-inc-to-begin-construction-on-sop-production-upgrade-by-late-2021/