The former EOG Resources sand processing plant in Chippewa Falls, shown here in 2011, could be re-opened as a battery production facility. A British firm is planning to invest $12 million to $15 million to remodel the buildings and purchase equipment. The goal is to be in production in fall 2024.
The former EOG Resources sand processing plant in Chippewa Falls, shown here in 2011, could be re-opened as a battery production facility. A British firm is planning to invest $12 million to $15 million to remodel the buildings and purchase equipment. The goal is to be in production in fall 2024.
CHIPPEWA FALLS — A British company is planning to open a battery production facility in the former EOG Resources sand plant in the northeast corner of Chippewa Falls. The firm is looking to invest between $12 million and $15 million to remodel the buildings and purchase equipment.
The co-founders of Collaborative Engineering Services, based in England, spoke to the Leader-Telegram via video conferencing last week about their plans for the former sand plant.
“The idea is to work in the new green energy area,” said co-founder Chris Gregory. “This opportunity came up to transfer some of those skills to the U.S.”
Gregory said they liked the EOG location because it is a large site, it is zoned for industrial use, and it is along a rail spur.
“We visited last September and fell in love with the place,” Gregory said. ”It’s 88 acres. It’s a brilliant facility. There is some good work to do on the construction side of the things. It gives us the opportunity to grow a successful business.”
Lesley Blaine, co-founder, said the former EOG site was sold to a Texas investor, and he wants to repurpose it to a green technology park, and re-invest in all the buildings. Blaine said their plans include repurposing batteries of all sizes, from ones used on electric bikes and snowmobiles to vehicles.
The goal is by fall 2024 to have a 50,000-square-foot facility open, re-purposing lithium battery packs. They expect to employ 40 workers.
Charlie Walker, Chippewa County Economic Development Corporation executive director, has been working with CES on getting moved in and set up.
“The city of Chippewa Falls has been very pro-business and welcoming, and helping the company with some retrofitting of the EOG facility,” Walker said. “We’re glad it’s all coming together. It’s a great story to talk about.”
There are still some hurdles for CES, including getting VISAs for Blaine and Gregory to permanently move here.
“We wanted to get the word out, because the supply chain is starting to know,” Walker said. “They are still working on the developer’s agreement. The project is definitely moving forward on a good timeline.”
Blaine said she knows some people have concerns about a battery operation and she wants to ‘de-mystify’ those worries and educate the community about the business.
“We’re looking to bring in high-quality safety standards,” she said.
Gregory said they liked the opportunity to hire talented workers from the region.
“We hope by introducing this type of business to the area, it does retain top workers from the university and technical colleges,” he said.
The plant, originally brought forward by Canadian Sand and Proppants, is located at 14587 Highway S, which also was in one of the city’s tax-increment financing districts. Plans for the building were announced in spring 2008, and it was controversial from the start, as opponents were concerned the plant would hurt air and water quality, increase traffic and lower property values. The plans were approved on a 4-3 vote with Mayor Greg Hoffman casting a rare tie-breaking vote to move the project forward. Canadian Sand and Proppants obtained state Department of Natural Resources permits in 2009, and construction began in fall 2010. In December 2010, a Marshfield man died when a cement wall collapsed during the construction.
After the plant was constructed, the state’s Department of Revenue determined in 2012 that the equalized value — including the land, buildings and personal property — was $65.8 million. EOG Resources acquired the license from Canadian Sands and Proppants, and it opened the building in 2011. Chippewa County had a dozen mines either approved or open at some point in the past 10 years. Sand from nearby mines was brought to the site, where it was dried and shipped out on rail cars. However, the plant shuttered a couple of years ago and the buildings have sat dormant. The city of Chippewa Falls is currently in litigation with EOG Resources about the size of its tax bill in 2021.
Sand found in the western part of Chippewa County is considered particularly hard, round and porous, making it ideal for being used in a process to extract petroleum and natural gas from the ground, EOG Resources officials have previously said.
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