BASF unveils upgraded agricultural facility in Regina

REGINA — BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions (BASF) showed off its modernized formulation, packaging and distribution facility in Regina recently.

The facility underwent more than $14 million in facility transformations, making it the division’s single biggest agriculture infrastructure investment in the last decade.

The Regina facility is expected to produce more than half of BASF Canada’s crop protection products, giving farmers across the country and the northern United States more stable access to the products.

“For decades, farmers have relied on our portfolio of solutions to help them overcome agronomic challenges on their fields,” said Jonathan Sweat, vice-president of business management at BASF Canada Agricultural Solutions, in a statement. “Situated in Western Canada, the transformed facility will further support our customers and enable us to produce more than 30 million litres of agricultural solutions annually.

The upgrades included work on mechanical operations, automation systems, quality control and safety protocols and performance. The revamp will also allow the facility improved separation among products which prevents cross-contamination.

Additional upgrades to the Regina production facility include:

• A new control room that serves as the heart of the entire plant, providing real-time information on every valve and tank.
• A 300,000-litre stainless steel tank for the storage of raw materials, increasing the facility’s total storage capacity to 2.8 million litres.
• Expanded analytical capability in the lab to meet production requirements, allowing BASF to test, approve and record all products for quality assurance.
• Increased ventilation, dust containment and high-speed shutter doors in the formulation area, contributing to a safe worksite for employees.

Construction at the Regina facility started in December 2019 and was finished in October 2020.

According to BASF, the entire project was completed by Saskatchewan-based contractors. During peak production period, which generally runs from fall to early spring, the facility will employ approximately 130 people.