Massive fertilizer plant slated for Quebec gets approval from province
by Canadian Manufacturing Staff
IFFCO Canada plant would produce as much as 1.6 million tonnes of granular urea annually
MONTREAL—The Quebec government has given the green light to a proposed $1.6-billion fertilizer plant in the province, according to the company behind the project.
IFFCO Canada Enterprise Ltd. said in a release that the provincial government has authorized the company to proceed with the massive urea plant in Becanour, Que., near Trois-Rivieres.
The company said it needs to finalize project financing before construction of the plant can proceed.
The facility would be one of the largest urea production plants in North America, with an annual production capacity of between 1.3 and 1.6 million tonnes of granular urea for the fertilizer market, and 760,000 tonnes of diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) annually.
Project shareholder La Coop fédérée has agreed to purchase some 500,000 tonnes of urea a year for distribution across its network in Canada and the United States when the plant is finished.
“Our focus now is on project financing which, once finalized, will pave the way for construction of the industrial complex to commence. That said, work on the project continues to progress, the business environment remains favourable, and we are confident that the plant will be ready for commissioning in 2017,” IFFCO chief executive Manish Gupta said in a statement.