Government funds green project for Sarnia’s petrochemical industry (August 15, 2007)

The Ontario government is investing in a new green initiative designed to help Sarnia-Lambton’s petrochemical industry develop environmentally friendly alternatives to fossil fuels.

The government has committed $10 million to the Bioindustrial Innovation Centre, which will connect researchers and the local petrochemical industry to create and commercialize alternative fuel.

By the government’s estimates, the new initiative will attract over $1 billion in private sector investment by 2014, and help attract new bioindustrial plants to Sarnia. The region’s producers currently supply chemicals and polymers to the plastics and automotive industries.

“A good part of Ontario’s industrial base was built on energy and chemicals created from fossil fuels right here in Sarnia-Lambton,” said Minister of Culture Caroline Di Cocco. “This new innovation centre will leverage that expertise and infrastructure, and make Ontario a leader in developing renewable alternatives.”

Located at the University of Western Ontario’s Sarnia-Lambton Research Park, the centre is expected to help support the development of a bio-hybrid chemical industry.

“The centre will support both research and commercialization,” said Di Cocco. “The Bioindustrial Innovation Centre is a strategic use of existing industry and infrastructure to achieve industrial scale biotechnology.”