Proposed site of soybean crushing plant, located between Casselton and Tharaldson Ethanol Plant (White direction arrow)
CASSELTON, N.D. (KFGO) – The Casselton area could soon see a $400 million soy crushing plant that would create 60 new jobs, with average wages of $32 per hour. It would purchase an estimated 45- million bushels of soybeans annually.
The plan is not finalized, but Josh Teigen, Director of the North Dakota Department of Commerce Economic Development & Finance Division, says the site is a mile west of Casselton, just east of the Tharaldson Ethanol Plant and a purchase agreement is in place. He’s been working with the company for about a month.
Teigen and others won’t yet name the company involved other than to say it is a large, multi-national corporation that is a joint venture between two agricultural-related groups.
Melissa Beach, Casselton Community and Economic Development Director, says a project of this size would provide a significant increase in tax revenue in the area and an expectation that farmers would come from over 100 miles to haul their soy products in.
The project could be contingent on infrastructure. State resources may help pay for a hard surface, a four-mile-long road to the site to handle 200 to 250 trucks a day, and more than 600 trucks daily during harvest season. The existing township road is now gravel.
Still up in the air is a water and wastewater source. The facility will require 900,000 gallons of freshwater daily. Based on the current plant layout, noise and odor do not appear to be an issue. The closest residence is 2,500 feet from the proposed plant.
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