Plans have been announced for a $1.9 billion sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production facility to be built west of Portage la Prairie, Man.
The facility that Azure Sustainable Fuels Corp. intends to build is projected to produce one billion litres of SAF annually, with canola or soybeans as feedstock. It would be the first of its kind in Canada.
Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson and Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson joined Azure CEO Douglas Cole and municipal leaders in Portage on Tuesday, where they announced $2.9 million in fed-prov funding over the next two years to support Azure with a front-end engineering and design study.
The Calgary-based company is aiming to have construction begin in 2024, with production ramping up around 2027.
While the facility would be located along the Trans-Canada Highway, the company says it intends to mainly rely on rail to bring in feedstock and ship out renewable fuel for the aviation industry.
After construction, the plant at Portage is projected to employ 150 people.
