Officials with California-based biochemical company Origin Materials say its first plant, now under construction in Sarnia, is on schedule to be completed by the end of the year.

The facility, which will use biomass, such as sawdust, to make building-block chemicals for the manufacturing of plastic and other products, is being assembled in an industrial park at the Arlanxeo site along Vidal Street.

“We continue to execute our construction timelines, achieving several project milestones ahead of schedule,” co-CEO John Bissell said during a recent earnings call.

Key production modules assembled off-site and shipped to Sarnia were installed “six months ahead of the plan announced in April 2021,” he said.

An evaporator module system was installed three months ahead of schedule, he added.

“We’ve continued to make progress in 2022,” he said.  “Installation of structural elements and interconnecting piping, the main plant production modules” have been largely completed.

Foundation work for the majority of auxiliary process building and tank farms is also complete, Bissell said.

Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley joined local officials and company representatives recently on a tour of the plant site.

“I think they’re moving into a hiring mode of about 50 people,” Bradley said. “They’re going to have a job fair. I just don’t know when.”

Origin Materials’ decision to select Sarnia for its first plant was “a breakthrough for us,” Bradley said. “This is the future.”

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