The Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA Ports) on Sept. 22 announced it has purchased an idle 67 MMly (17.7 MMgy) biodiesel plant located in Hamilton, Ontario, from Biox with the goal of resuming production at the facility.
The biorefinery has been operating on port lands for approximately two decades, converting used cooking oil, animal fats and seed oils into high-quality biodiesel.
The plant began operations in 2007. Biox acquired the facility from Methes Energies Canada Inc. in mid-2016. Biox was later acquired by World Energy LLC.
The biodiesel plant has been idle for more than a year. Unifor, Canada’s largest private sector union, in July announced Biox earlier that month had circulated termination notices to Unifor Local 593 members, signaling the full closure of the biodiesel plant.
HOPA Ports on Aug. 15 finalized an agreement with World Energy/Hartree to purchase the facility, preventing the liquidation of essential equipment and maintaining the plant’s ability to recommence operations. HOPA Sept. 22 said it is actively engaging with industry partners to identify a suitable operator capable of maintaining biodiesel production at the facility.
According to HOPA, new Canadian regulations have bolstered the outlook for domestic biodiesel production. HOPA specifically cited the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks’ recent enactment of a regulatory amendment to support the use of Canadian-produced biodiesel in provincial blending requirements. This change helps secure a viable, competitive future for local producers, HOPA indicated.
“We applaud the Province of Ontario for its prompt action and we are grateful to Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath for her steadfast advocacy with Premier Ford and the provincial government,” said Ian Hamilton, president and CEO of HOPA Ports. “These collaborative efforts, combined with the Federal government’s recent announcement of production incentives, send a clear message of support for Canada’s renewable energy sector.”
