Great Lakes Biodiesel Fosters Welland’s Growth into a Green and Thriving Community

Federal MP for St. Catharines Rick Dykstra, and Barry Sharpe Mayor of Welland welcome the largest biodiesel plant in Canada to the Welland-Niagara Region

WELLAND, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a coming together which welcomes the largest construction project taking place in Welland, and the largest biodiesel plant in Canada, Honourable Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, Rick Dykstra, and Honourable Welland Mayor, Barry Sharpe, officially greet Great Lakes Biodiesel into the Welland-Niagara community.

“The Welland community is passionate about supporting this progressive initiative”

When open in the Fall of this year Great Lakes Biodiesel will be the largest producer of biodiesel in Canada. Under the Federal ecoENERGY program Great Lakes Biodiesel is approved for production incentives over the next five years of up to $65.3 million dollars. The production of biodiesel from the plant will help to support the federal government’s mandate, which requires a minimum of two per cent biodiesel content in diesel fuel and heating oil. This directly enables reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and ultimately facilitates cleaner air for all Canadians.

Leading the production of renewable fuels in Canada, Great Lakes Biodiesel contributes to economic activity like job creation in Welland and the Niagara region, while simultaneously supporting the Ontario farming industry.

“The Great Lakes Biodiesel pant is an example of what is necessary in Niagara to build long term sustainable jobs,” says Rick Dykstra, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. “The scale of this initiative is clearly of major importance: it provides benefits to our region and opens additional markets for our farmers crops while decreasing Canada’s environmental footprint.”

The project has made a substantial impact on the city of Welland, creating more than twenty full-time positions at GLB. Working closely with the local Job Gym, an employment agency, Great Lakes Biodiesel was able to find a multitude of qualified applicants, enabling their Human Resources team to match local applicants for each available position. The community of Welland is rich in resources, and has provided the company with an impressive number of skilled tradespeople that have been tapped for permanent positions within the plant.

A major construction and engineering feat that is in the final stage of completion, Great Lakes Biodiesel has over seventy five trade workers currently working on site, and has partnered with several local companies to highlight its commitment to the Welland community. With the help of local area establishments, such as Timbro Construction of Welland and TWD Engineering of Burlington, the plant has been able to fulfill its major building needs and create a multitude of opportunities for the residents of its community.

“The Welland community is passionate about supporting this progressive initiative,” says Barry Sharpe, Mayor of Welland. “Great Lakes Biodiesel is stimulating several sectors of our local economy from the farmers who provide crops for the plant, the material suppliers and tradespeople who are contributing to the construction, and the local workers who have been hired to ensure the smooth operation of the plant.”

The opening of the Great Lakes Biodiesel paves the path to a flourishing new industry in Welland, which follows other great strides in the green and renewable industry. Amidst the already strong campaigns in the LED lighting and solar powered projects, Welland is one of the first cities in North America equipped with LED lighting that supports the whole city, Great Lakes Biodiesel mirrors the city’s commitment to fueling the needs of Canadians with a strong commitment to the environment around us.

“Great Lakes Biodiesel is focused on preserving the environment through production and supply of emission-reducing biodiesel,” says Wilson Parasiuk, Chair at Great Lakes Biodiesel, “by producing a form of energy that’s renewable, sustainable, and supports our agricultural industry, we are partnering with Canada’s government to promote a more viable industry that benefits individuals on local, provincial and federal levels.”

About the City of Welland

Welland is enviable in terms of business and personal fulfillment. The City is strategically and conveniently located within Ontario’s “Golden Horseshoe” region. The Golden Horseshoe is centred by Metro Toronto, which is Canada’s largest consumer market and an integral part of its industrial heartland. The City’s location on the St. Lawrence Seaway links Welland to ocean ports around the world: Hong Kong, the Pacific Rim, Europe, and North and South America. There is space on Welland’s harbor on the Welland Canal for warehousing of goods to be loaded onto and received from ocean going ships. Welland has rail linkage to major Canadian and U.S. centres, and its airport offers service to both business and leisure travelers, and accommodates both freight and private jet passenger crafts on a regular basis.

About Great Lakes Biodiesel:

Great Lakes Biodiesel Inc. (GLB) is located in Welland, Ontario. GLB is a member of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. The GLB facility is the largest biodiesel plant in Canada producing ASTM 6751 quality biodiesel made from vegetable oils and more specifically from soybean and canola crops. The plant will use state of the art Desmet Ballestra production equipment, which is in service in over 80 biodiesel plants around the world. The final product is a clean-burning, renewable, organic-based fuel that is blended into conventional diesel fuel resulting in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. For more information please visit greatlakesbiodiesel.com.

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