AGRIS Co-op/Suncor Oil Extraction Study Receives Funding

On Nov. 28 at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown campus, Chatham-Kent Essex MPP Pat Hoy announced that AGRIS Co-operative, Ltd. and Suncor Energy will receive funding from the OMAFRA Rural Economic Development Program to complete a scoping study for a proposed multi feedstock vegetable oil extraction and corn fractionation project. In addition to the financial support from OMAFRA, AGRIS Co-operative announced that the Ontario Soybean Growers will also provide financial support to this scoping study.

“We are very pleased to receive this financial support to continue our investigation,” says Jim Campbell, AGRIS Co-operative general manager. “Each of these steps brings us closer to our ultimate goal of providing our members the opportunity to directly benefit from the addition of a uniquely positioned oil extraction facility. While this is a long journey, the fact that we are continuing our investigation through these volatile times shows the commitment of the AGRIS board of directors to this project and the financial opportunity it represents,” added Campbell.

AGRIS Co-operative and Suncor Energy will put together a project management team made up of in-house staff and outside engineering and consulting experts to complete the scoping study. The project team will generate a report and present its findings to AGRIS Co-operative and Suncor management teams in January.

Supporters of oil extraction study at University of Guelph on Nov. 28. From (L-R) Jason Vaillant, Suncor Energy manager communications and stakeholder relations; Dale Petrie, Ontario Soybean Growers general manager; Pat Hoy, MPP Chatham-Kent Essex; Richard Tanner, AGRIS C-operative board president; Jim Campbell, AGRIS Co-operative general manager; Matt McLean, Southwestern Ontario Bioproducts Innovation Network executive director and Art Schaafsma, director for University of Guelph – Ridgetown College.