07/14/2006
Source: LOHAS Weekly Newsletter
Author: Clean Edge
Suncor Energy Products Inc. announced that its St. Clair ethanol plant is
now in production. With an expected production volume of 200 million litres
per year, the CN$120 million plant is now the largest ethanol production
facility in Canada.
“We are proud of our new, world-class ethanol production facility,” said
Tom Ryley, executive vice president of Suncor. “It demonstrates Suncor’s
commitment to renewable fuels in Ontario and to playing a leadership role in
the Sarnia-Lambton community.”
Located in St. Clair Township, near Sarnia, the plant has 38 full-time
employees and will provide a number of ongoing opportunities for local
suppliers and service providers, including the agricultural sector. The
primary feedstock for the plant is corn, and the operation is expected to
use 20 million bushels of corn per year.
Suncor has been blending ethanol into its Sunoco-branded gasoline sold
since 1996. When blended with gasoline, ethanol helps reduce carbon monoxide
emissions by up to 30%. According to the company, the use of corn-based
ethanol in Sunoco’s fuel has had the equivalent effect of removing more than
20,000 cars from Ontario’s roads. Ethanol is also utilized as a natural
gas-line antifreeze in winter.
In addition to producing ethanol, Suncor is also supporting renewable energy development in Canada by pursuing wind power projects. Suncor has two wind power projects in operation – SunBridge in southwestern Saskatchewan and Magrath in southern Alberta. A third wind farm near Taber, Alberta received regulatory approval in spring 2005 and construction is under way. Pending regulatory approval, Suncor’s fourth and largest wind farm is planned for a location east of Lake Huron in Ripley, Ontario
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