Toronto-based Woodland Biofuels is looking to build its first commercial plant in the Arlanxeo bio-industrial park on Vidal Street.
Bioindustrial Innovation Centre (BIC) Executive Director Sandy Marshall told Lambton County Council discussions are underway.
"They've had their pilot plant at the Sarnia-Lambton Research Park now for probably ten years," said Marshall. "They continue to operate that pilot plant and they're collecting some final data and we're working with them very specifically to help them engineer their first commercial plant. They're looking to build this plant at the Arlanxeo site and are in discussions with Arlanxeo."
In late August 2019, the federal government announced an investment of nearly $5 million to help Woodland build an 80 million litre full-scale plant that will create about 324 full-time equivalent jobs. Woodland expected to locate the plant in Sarnia but a site wasn't identified.
The plant would use a mixture of forestry waste and construction and demolition wood waste to produce sustainable and renewable ethanol.
Marshall also reported that LCY Biosciences is looking to expand Sarnia's former BioAmber site after restarting the Vidal Street plant last year.
He said LCY has been producing and marketing succinic acid to customers around the world.
"We're working with them now to help them design, engineer and construct a demonstration line for the production of some specialty fermentation products. I use the term carotenoids here, because that's what the first project was focused on," he said.
The expansion, estimated at $30 million, would create a nutraceutical operation to make products like vitamin A and beta carotene.
LCY Biosciences bought the plant, in the Arlanxeo Bio-Industrial Park, out of receivership for $4.3 million in 2018.
As well, Marshall said Imtex Membranes is in the early stages of constructing a $15 million dollar demonstration plant on two acres.
"They are in detailed engineering and have a project steering team that's being put together," he said.
-With files from Dave Dentinger & Colin Gowdy