The Saskatchewan government says it is prioritizing the purchase of local steel for SaskPower and SaskEnergy infrastructure projects.

In a news release the province says SaskPower has negotiated a purchase of up to 10,000 tons of steel from EVRAZ, or the equivalent of three-years’ worth of steel for the Crown, which is used for the construction of transmission structures and other infrastructure which contributes to maintaining Saskatchewan’s power grid.

EVRAZ, formerly IPSCO, has been a steel supplier in Regina for 69 years.

EVRAZ is also working on an order from SaskEnergy which purchased 125 kilometres of steel pipe through Gateway Tubulars LTD. for the Aspen Power Station project, a new 370-megawatt natural gas power plant near Lanigan.

United Steel Workers Local 5890 President Mike Day said, “When hearing of commitments like this from the Saskatchewan government, it eases some of the uncertainty our members have been facing.”