$300 million expansion at Genesis Alkali Granger location
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SOUTHWEST WYOMING — Genesis Energy has announced plans to invest approximately 300 million dollars to expand its existing Granger soda ash production facility.
According to a press release dated Sept. 23, “The plant will undergo a conversion from hard rock and mechanical mining to become a solution mining facility, the first of it's kind in Wyoming.”
Within weeks of the announcement the ground was broken and is currently being excavated and leveled as rebar is being laid in anticipation of concrete to be poured in the spring of 2020, when it has the warmth to cure properly. The facility is currently producing 500,000 tons on soda ash and production is expected to continue at that rate during construction. Upon completion of the project, the mine is projected to increase production to the range of 1.2 million tons.
Existing structure at the mines will be behind the new expansion upon completion.
"The technology that we've invested in mining, " Vice-President of Manufacturing Genesis Alkali Fred von Ahrens told the Pioneer recently on a tour of the facility. "Going from mechanical mining and rock mining to solution mining has allowed us to be very efficient with how much of that mineral we extract. Hard rock mining leaves the pillars, leaving over 50 percent of the ore behind. By using the solution mining technology that we have, we're approaching 80 percent of that ore extraction, and we are still extracting it so we feel really comfortable in being good stewards in that mineral for the state."
During the past five years, plans for the expansion at the Granger facility have been made, utilizing the Genesis patented solution feed process technology, which was perfected at a sister-production facility in Turkey over that time to create one of the lowest cost soda ash production facilities in the world.
"We have a long history of innovation and investment in natural soda ash production in Wyoming," Chairman and CEO of Genesis Grant Sims said in the release. "The next phase of our growth will result in Granger joining our Westvaco operation as a world-class soda ash facility. We look forward to the successful completion of the project."
The expansion project will provide construction jobs to roughly 350 people over the next two years of the construction phase. Upon completion the mine will be host to between 15 to 20 more permanent on site careers following completion of the project.
