Governments pledge $272 million to fund Selkirk silica sand processing plant
A multi-million dollar plant that will process Manitoba silica sand to create glass for solar panels will receive a big chunk of funding from multiple levels of government.
Canada Premium Sand Inc. (CPS), the company behind the Selkirk-area facility, said both the Manitoba and federal governments have pledged $272 million in financial assistance to build the plant.
Of that, $72 million will come from the province in non-dilutive financial support. About $32 million will be used to cut capital costs, and $40 million will come in the form of a low-interest loan.
The feds are kicking in $100 million of non-dilutive financial support.
The company also hopes to get up to $100 million through the federal Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program “with the potential to facilitate a meaningful ownership position in the CPS project for participating Indigenous groups,” the company said in a news release.
CPS said it is in discussions with Manitoba Indigenous groups to explore investments in the project.
The company said it also qualifies for existing provincial tax incentives and economic development programs ringing in at about $60 million in benefits over the project’s lifespan.
CPS president and CEO Glenn Leroux said the governments’ combined financial support means the remaining private capital needed to fund the plant’s construction is reduced from $880 to potentially $608 million - the majority of which could come in the form of long-term debt.
“Having received the federal and provincial indications of financial support, we can advance our project financing with the goal of putting shovels in the ground in 2025,” he said.
Plant could create hundreds of jobs
The Selkirk plant would process Manitoba silica sand extracted near Hollow Water and Seymourville to make 800 tonnes of ultra high-clarity, low-carbon patterned solar glass a day.
It will be used to make solar panels across North America, quashing the need to import the glass from other countries.
In February, the Kinew government dismissed a regulatory appeal against the plans, which has already been granted an environmental license.
The province noted the plant will create 250 jobs in Selkirk, 30 in Hollow Water, and another 600 to 700 in construction.
Hollow Water First Nation and Seymourville also have agreements in place with CPS, which includes environmental oversight and possible revenue sharing.
Still, the project has faced opposition from area residents and environmental advocates.
Camp Morning Star filed an appeal, citing health and safety concerns with the plans.
The Kinew government said it took its time to review the appeal, while consulting experts. The premier said the plans include remediation work.
The province said shovels could be in the ground for the mine in the summer and for the Selkirk plant next year.
- With files from CTV’s Jeff Keele
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Aviation experts say Russia's air defence fire likely caused Azerbaijan plane crash as nation mourns
Aviation experts said Thursday that Russian air defence fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured.
Police identify victim of Christmas Day homicide in Hintonburg, charge suspect
The Ottawa Police Service says the victim who had been killed on Christmas Day in Hintonburg has been identified.
Teen actor Hudson Meek, who appeared in 'Baby Driver,' dies after falling from moving vehicle
Hudson Meek, the 16-year-old actor who appeared in 'Baby Driver,' died last week after falling from a moving vehicle in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, according to CNN affiliate WVTM.
Pizza deliverer in Florida charged with stabbing pregnant woman at motel after tip dispute
A pizza deliverer in central Florida has been charged with pushing her way into a motel room with an accomplice and stabbing a pregnant woman after a dispute over a tip, authorities said.
Raised in Sask. after his family fled Hungary, this man spent decades spying on communists for the RCMP
As a Communist Party member in Calgary in the early 1940s, Frank Hadesbeck performed clerical work at the party office, printed leaflets and sold books.
Cat food that caused bird-flu death of Oregon pet was distributed in B.C.: officials
Pet food contaminated with bird flu – which killed a house cat in Oregon – was distributed and sold in British Columbia, according to officials south of the border.
Unwanted gift card in your stocking? Don't let it go to waste
Gift cards can be a quick and easy present for those who don't know what to buy and offer the recipient a chance to pick out something nice for themselves, but sometimes they can still miss the mark.
Sinkhole prompts lane closures on Interstate 80 in New Jersey
A sinkhole that opened up Thursday along Interstate 80 in northern New Jersey forced authorities to close the heavily travelled highway's eastbound lanes.
Boxing Day in Canada: Small retailers fear big shopping day won't make up for tough year
It’s one of the busiest shopping days of the year: Boxing Day sees thousands of people head to malls and big box stores to find great deals. But it's not so simple for smaller shops.