Premier Wab Kinew visited Selkirk on February 14th to announce a momentous occasion – the establishment of Canadian Premium Sands’ (CPS) patterned solar glass manufacturing plant in the city, and showed a whole lot of love for the plant, its economic impact, low-carbon footprint and job creation.
“We are here today to say yes to CPS,” Kinew said with a big smile on his face.
“I’m happy to be in Selkirk. This is a hardworking community with a long and proud tradition and a blue-collar work ethic that also has an environmentally progressive leadership.”
Good jobs for Manitobans right here in Selkirk
The Premier, who was accompanied by Climate Change Minister Tracy Schmidt and Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources Minister Jamie Moses, also endorsed CPS’s silica sand extraction plant in Hollow Water First Nation during the announcement at Gaynor Family Regional Library.
“These projects will create good Manitoba jobs in the trades for Manitobans right here in Selkirk, as well as in Hollow Water and surrounding communities,” Kinew said.
“This announcement is part of our government’s critical mineral strategy and will bring a significant economic benefit to Manitoba while growing our low-carbon economy.”
Nearly a billion dollars invested into Selkirk
Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson welcomed Kinew, Schmidt and Moses to the city and said the CPS project will be transformational for Selkirk, the region and the province as a whole.
“Not only will it see almost a billion dollars invested into our community, creating as many as 300 direct jobs, and generating tens of millions in local economic activity each year, but it will make this region a vital hub in North America’s new low-carbon economy and be a magnet, attracting other commercial and manufacturing investments,” Johannson said.
“We are excited to see the CPS project reach this critical milestone and we appreciate the province’s support.”
Canadian Premium Sand will use silica sand, extracted near Hollow Water First Nation, in the Selkirk manufacturing facility to produce solar glass, a key component in the production of solar energy panels.
Environmental licenses for the Selkirk patterned solar glass plant and sand extraction plant in Hollow Water have been granted.
Hundreds of jobs, huge economic benefits
Besides the hundreds of direct jobs the plant will create once operational, it will also provide 600-700 jobs during the construction phase, which is expected to be about 28 months. The solar plant is expected to generate $21 million in annual payroll and $35 million in local third-party services. The plant will also bring in more than $20 million in corporate taxation and generate $22 million in Manitoba Hydro billing.
The patterned solar glass plant will manufacture up to 800 tonnes of solar glass per day. As the only North American low carbon patterned solar glass manufacturing facility it will be appealing to other countries, including the United States, which desires onshore manufacturing inputs.
“Manitoba has the opportunity to be a leader in clean energy, and this project will help Manitoba meet our net-zero targets,” said Schmidt.
“Ensuring the safety of Manitobans and the protection of our environment is my top priority as Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and any time we can do that while also creating good jobs for Manitobans is a win-win.”
Selkirk and Manitoba a vital hub
Johannson says council and administration have been working hard to secure the CPS plant and he was happy to welcome the Premier and two Ministers to the city to show their support for what is destined to be an historic milestone for Selkirk and Manitoba as they become key players in solar power, a booming green industry.
“Solar power is a pillar in the transition to a low-carbon economy and the fight against climate change,” Johannson said.
“The CPS manufacturing plant will make our region and Manitoba a vital hub in the new economy and help to attract up-stream and down-stream industry, and that will ensure the Manitoba economy will grow for decades to come.”
New plant a result of strategic investments
CAO Duane Nicol said the city has been making strategic investments into core infrastructure and operational capacity for years that have led to this moment, in particular the decision to invest in the city’s state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility. The plant far exceeds provincial regulatory standards and produces reclaimed water that will be another environmental win when the CPS plant is operational.
“This foresight has given us the opportunity to use reclaimed water (re-water) as an input for the plant, thereby turning a former waste project into a valuable manufacturing resource,” Nicol said.
“This one innovation will eliminate the need for using fresh water, potentially a million liters a day, for the glass processing, and because our treatment facilities operate without fossil fuels, there is almost no carbon footprint. It closes a resource loop and makes our local economy more circular – which is good for the pocketbook, and great for the environment.”
Kinew said reduced environmental impacts will be a strength for CPS and Manitoba.
“This project is going to position Manitoba as a leader in the low-carbon economy of the future because it will make us the host of the only patterned solar glass manufacturing facility in all of North America,” Kinew said.
“Right now, solar glass is often produced in countries whose electricity is generated by coal. We can beat them in the open market. Our value proposition to the rest of the world is that we can manufacture items like this with higher respect for the environment, higher respect for human rights, and better labor standards than almost any other jurisdiction in the world.”
CPS has secured off-take agreements with three North American solar panel manufacturers for a combined total of 62 per cent of planned output capacity and an average renewable contract term of over four years. An offtake agreement is a legally binding agreement between two parties wherein a customer commits to buy all or a portion of a manufacturer’s future production. These agreements include options to increase firm off-take volumes by an additional 15% of planned output capacity to a combined total of 77 per cent, subject to mutual agreement.
Questions regarding jobs, the construction, operations of the plant should be directed to CPS directly.
