Ontario invests $2.5M in Kawartha Ethanol
by CM Staff
The new investment plans to help the Havelock-based company expand its local production capabilities to manufacture high-grade, pure ethanol for hand sanitizers and disinfectants.
PHOTO: Manufacturing/Nick Youngson via Picpedia.org
HAVELOCK — The Ontario government is supporting a more than $37 million investment by Kawartha Ethanol with $2.5 million through the Ontario Together Fund. The new investment plans to help the Havelock-based company expand its local production capabilities to manufacture high-grade, pure ethanol for hand sanitizers and disinfectants to help the continued fight against COVID-19.
“Through the Ontario Together Fund, our government is making strategic investments in domestic businesses with the ideas and solutions to help us through this pandemic and put us on the road to economic recovery,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “Kawartha Ethanol and their new capacity to make high-grade ethanol for sanitizer is another example of Ontario innovation at its very best. Ontario manufacturers continue to enhance our resilience to any challenge while strengthening our economy.”
“Kawartha Ethanol is appreciative of this critical support from the Government of Ontario that will enhance our efforts to address the challenges of the pandemic while expanding with new products in new markets and creating and retaining jobs in the region. As one of the largest private employers in Peterborough County, the Drain Bros. family of companies, including Kawartha Ethanol will continue to contribute to a strong Made in Ontario economy in future, thanks in part to this funding support,” said Darrell Drain, President of Kawartha Ethanol.
Kawartha Ethanol’s corn ethanol production facility has the capacity to produce 100 million litres of fuel-grade ethanol annually. With this new investment, it will also have the capacity to produce 60 million litres of high-grade pure ethanol for sanitizer each year.
“Well-paying, local jobs in Havelock will be created and protected with this $37 million investment. These jobs will support families and local businesses in the township now and years into the future,” said Dave Smith, MPP for Peterborough-Kawartha. “Kawartha Ethanol will now be able to retool to support the domestic manufacturing of products used to keep people and workplaces safe.”
