Industrial Development Briefs: 5V/UP, Frontier Lithium/CPKC
5V/UP
5V on March 4 reported plans to construct a UP-served shuttle train receiver in Dalhart, Tex., that is scheduled to begin operations in 2026. The Texas Panhandle, where the facility will be located, “is a major hub for cattle feeding, dairy production, and grain merchandising,” according to company, a newly formed partnership between Five Rivers Cattle Feeding, LLC (Five Rivers), which has 13 feed yards in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Idaho, and Boulder, Colo.-based Viserion Grain, LLC.
The partners said they will leverage Five Rivers’s established presence in the region and Viserion Grain’s expertise in origination and merchandising to meet local feed demand. Five Rivers and Viserion Grain, a subsidiary of Viserion International Holdco, LLC, are backed by funds managed by Pinnacle Asset Management, L.P., a New York-based alternative asset management firm focused on global commodities markets.
“This new facility aims to enhance local feed supply and elevate the region’s agricultural capabilities by tapping into the combined strengths of its founding partners,” said Mike Thoren, President and CEO of Five Rivers. “This development comes at a time when the deficit for feed ingredients is expanding, making this facility a game-changer for local consumers.”
Aaron Wiegand, CEO of Viserion International Holdco, LLC, commented: “This facility not only expands our network, but also supports the local agricultural community. We’re proud to partner with a premier cattle feeder to invest in the Texas Panhandle and create jobs.”
“The agriculture market is growing, and Union Pacific is well positioned to take on volume, investing more than $10 million per day in infrastructure, technology, and network expansion to provide winning solutions for our customers,” UP Senior Vice President-Marketing and Sales Jason Hess said. “We’re proud to work with Five Rivers and Viserion Grain as we grow together and support the economy.”
In a related development, Viterra recently broke ground on its newest grain elevator in Dalhart, Tex., to be served by UP.
Frontier Lithium/CPKC
An unsecured loan for aggregate proceeds of C$3,350,000 and the acquisition of a vacant industrial site on Mission Island in Thunder Bay, Ontario, have closed, reported Frontier Lithium, which plans to construct a lithium conversion facility on the property, located at 1900 108th Street and the former home of a coal-fired electricity generating station operated by Ontario Power Generation.
The site comprises 183 acres of heavy industrial property, including a 50-acre water lot, plus existing high-voltage infrastructure, proximity to utilities and rail (CPKC’s Kaministiquia Subdivision; see maps above), and access to water transportation networks, “ensuring connectivity to provincial, national, and international markets,” according to Frontier Lithium, a pre-production mining company that says its objective is “to become a strategic and integrated supplier of premium spodumene concentrates, as well as battery-grade lithium salts to the growing electric vehicle, and energy storage markets in North America.”
The company said its “PAK Lithium project maintains the largest land position and resource in a premium lithium mineral district located in Ontario’s Great Lakes region.” A joint venture of Frontier Lithium Inc. (92.5%) and Mitsubishi Corporation (7.5%), the project involves the extraction of lithium ore, advanced processing to produce high-purity lithium concentrates, and a downstream refining facility to manufacture battery-grade lithium salts, Frontier Lithium reported. “A 2023 Pre-Feasibility Study by BBA E&C Inc., titled ‘National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report PFS PAK Lithium Project,’ estimates a 24-year project life with a post-tax NPV (8%) of US$1.74 billion and an IRR of 24.1%,” Frontier Lithium said. It added that it is working closely with community partners, industry stakeholders, and government agencies on the project.
“Securing land for Frontier Lithium’s future plans in the City of Thunder Bay marks a pivotal moment for Northern Ontario,” said Trevor Walker, CEO of Frontier Lithium, during the Feb. 28 announcement. “This investment reinforces Ontario’s strength as a critical hub for Canada’s battery materials sector and the global clean energy transition. In addition to housing our planned lithium processing facility, regional office, and innovation center, Thunder Bay is ideally positioned to support the broader regional lithium supply chain as new resources come online.”
