Flax processing facility announced during CFS

A key announcement during Canada's Farm Show on Tuesday.

Prairie Clean Energy announced plans to build the world's first ever flax processing facility in Regina.

CEO Mark Cooper says they'll be buying flax straw within a 150 km radius and turning it into pellets.

"So we're actually leasing an existing facility, which is part of the attraction of this particular site. It's got rail access, great highway access, right here in the city. So it's close for our existing team and that means that we can get up to speed faster in terms of production. The actual cost to to start production is just over a million dollars and we'll be producing about 60,000 tons of pellets per year from this facility."

He says those pellets will be sold worldwide for as a biofuel.

"We have agreements to move flax pellets to Japan with our partner company Renova. And also to move flax pellets to Europe for a variety of companies that are now trying to make up for the significant deficit created by the war in Ukraine in terms of the biomass fuel."

Cooper says they hope to have the facility up and operational by September and will be buying flax straw this fall.

He notes while they are starting with a flax processing facility in Regina he's hoping to start similar plants in other areas in the future.

Prairie Clean Energy signed it's first official producer contract to buy flax straw during the announcement on Tuesday.