Investments from BNSF Railway customers totaled more than $4.1 billion in 2023, the freight rail provider reported this week. Significant investments were made from supply chain partners and customers, including Cenovus Energy and Green Bison Soy Processing LLC. As a result of these and other customer investments, BNSF projects supported the creation of more than 4,200 new jobs in local communities. Last year’s investments are the largest BNSF customers and local economic development organizations have made in new or expanded facilities in the past five years.
We take pride in collaborating with our customers to create customizable rail development solutions that meet their unique needs and enhance and improve their supply chains,” said Chris Danos, assistant vice president, economic development. “BNSF can also help create sustainable solutions while streamlining logistics costs.”
In 2023, new developments supported various industrial and agricultural commodities in communities across the BNSF network. Highlights of supply chain solutions BNSF helped its customers achieve in 2023 include:
- Cenovus Energy – With a significant investment, the Superior Refinery in Superior, Wisconsin, which Cenovus Energy acquired on January 1, 2021, was rebuilt and reopened in 2023. At peak activity levels during reconstruction, more than 2,200 contractors, plus Cenovus staff, were working at the site. The rail-served refinery produces and ships asphalt, vacuum gas oil, light cycle oil, and LPG products, employing approximately 350 people. Its more than $29.9 million annual payroll contributed to the economic growth throughout the Superior-Duluth area. In addition, the refinery pays more than $2.2 million in property taxes and $48 million in annual spending with contractors and vendors to support operations.
- Green Bison Soy Processing LLC– With an investment of approximately $350 million, ADM & Marathon Petroleum Corporationopened Green Bison Soy Processing, a soybean processing plant in Spiritwood, North Dakota, to source and process local soybeans to meet increased demand for renewable fuels, specifically renewable green diesel. The complex will produce approximately 600 million pounds of refined soybean oil annually, enough feedstock for about 75 million gallons of renewable green diesel per year. The rail-served facility features over 22,000 feet of new track and can ship 14,000 carloads of outbound soy meal and vegetable oil annually. The new facility supports hundreds of regional jobs and created 75 additional jobs.