Gypsum rock is a resource that is heating up in Wheatland County.
CGC Inc. recently announced it is looking to fill approximately 100 jobs at its new facility near Carseland.
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Duane VanDuuren, CGC Wheatland plant manager, says the organization has a large supply of mines filled with gypsum.
"We'll take the gypsum rock and essentially pulverize it into a fine powder. That fine powder is calcined, which essentially draws out the bonded water, or partial parts of the bonded water, with the gypsum rock to chemically remove that water."
According to VanDuuren, the ground gypsum rock is then turned into stucco.
"Once you reintroduce water to that, it will reconnect with the water molecules and turn into a solid state," said VanDuuren.
"You can take that gypsum rock and basically grind it down, calcine it, take out some of the bonded water, then reintroduce the bonded water, and form the gypsum into the shape you want."
From there, the organization forms it into gypsum wallboard.
VanDuuren says once the plant is fully operational, it will run 24/7.
"Any gypsum rock that is not processed will be reintroduced into our system and recycled. There will be zero waste leaving our site from our production operation."
The plant is set to open by 2026.
