Ontario firm gets $800K in FedDev funding for biofuel plant
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Woodland Biofuels receiving funding to operate plant in Sarnia, Ont.
SARNIA, Ont.—A company running a biofuel plant in southwestern Ontario is receiving as much as $800,000 from the federal government to help operate the facility.
Woodland Biofuels Inc. is receiving the repayable funding through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to run the plant in Sarnia, Ont., approximately 290 kilometres west of Toronto on the Michigan border, that will produce low-cost biofuel from waste.
“Our Government recognizes that innovation holds the key to long-term economic stability for the people, communities and businesses of Ontario,” local Member of Parliament Patricia Davidson said in a statement.
“Our investment in Woodland Biofuels will lead to opportunities for job creation, growth and long-term prosperity in Ontario, and will strengthen Canada’s position as a global leader in clean energy.”
The funding is being provided under FedDev Ontario’s Investing in Business Innovation (IBI) initiative.
Mississauga, Ont.-based Woodland Biofuels’ patented technology uses a series of chemical reaction steps to produce cellulosic ethanol biofuel from plant materials, including agricultural and forestry waste to demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of cellulosic ethanol production.
“We are delighted that FedDev Ontario has decided to support the optimization of our Sarnia plant. We expect to the plant to show that we can produce ethanol from waste for about half of what it costs to produce gasoline at today’s oil prices,” Woodland Biofuels president and CEO Greg Nuttall said.
“This will not only put Ontario in the front of the global race to find an alternative to fossil fuels but ultimately will also provide Ontario with significant economic and environmental benefits.”
The company was also able to garner $2-million in venture capital financing through the MaRS Cleantech Fund.
The company expects to create up to 18 full-time jobs during the implementation of this project, and up to 1,120 additional jobs with the construction of multiple commercial plants following the project’s completion.
