London-based Comet Biorefining is getting $10.8-million in federal funding for a new sugar from biomass plant, to be built at Sarnia's TransAlta Energy Park.
The money is part of $206-million in funding for 36 clean energy projects across the country.
Comet Founder Andrew Richard says the goal is to have the plant online by 2018.
"One of the very critical things for us, and our technology, is this first facility," says Richard.
"As we bridge that pathway to commercialization, that's where the funding comes into play. They play a critical role, not only just in promoting sustainable technologies, but in advancing them to commercial scale."
Richard says the facility will produce 60-million lbs of dextrose sugar per year from locally-sourced corn stover and wheat straw left in farm fields after harvest.
He says it will eventually be used to produce things like organic and amino acids and bioplastics.
As many as 50 jobs are expected to be created.
