SPIRITWOOD, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Leaders of Minnesota Soybean Processors (MnSP) along with Governor Doug Burgum announced Tuesday plans to construct a $287 million soybean processing plant, the first of its kind in North Dakota.

The announcement was made during the 2017 Northern Soybean Expo in Fargo. MnSP is a membership cooperative that owns and operates a soybean crush facility and biodeisel operation in Brewster, Minn. They have selected a site on 150 acres in the Spiritwood Energy Park.

The plant would be an integrated soybean crush facility and refinery, crushing 125,000 bushels of soybeans per day. The NDSP site would produce roughly 900,000 tons of soybean meal annually.

Governor Burgum announced that the plant would create 55 to 60 full time jobs, support local service companies, vendors and suppliers and support the soybean price paid to local farmers.

MnSP will be working with the North Dakota Agricultural Products Utilization Commission to complete the construction feasibility study. Corry Shevlin with Jamestown Stutsman Development Corporation will provide more information at a later time.