Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), Ottawa, Ontario, has awarded Comet Biorefining Inc., London, Ontario, a grant of CA$10.9 million for the construction of a its first-of-its-kind advanced biobased chemicals plant. Located in Sarnia, Ontario, the plant will use proprietary conversion technology to transform corn stover, an agricultural residue, into high-purity dextrose sugar.

SDTC supports the development of technologies which address the challenges of clean air, soil, water and climate change. As a building block for biobased solutions—replacements for petroleum-based products—Comet says it’s dextrose sugar will help reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Comet says it’s technology enables sugars to be produced cost competitively with corn or sugarcane-derived dextrose, the conventional raw materials for today’s biochemical production. Their facilities may be built on a small scale to enable flexibility to locate production close to biomass supplies, reducing transportation costs.

“This funding will support the commercialization of our feedstock-flexible technology and produce a much-needed raw material for the growing bioeconomy. By supporting Comet Biorefining, SDTC is investing in Canada’s environmental goals and economic future,” Andrew Richard, founder of Comet, says.

“Sustainable Development Technology Canada is incredibly proud to support Comet Biorefining,” says Leah Lawrence, president and CEO. “Our mission is to help Canadian cleantech entrepreneurs move their ground-breaking technologies to commercialization by bridging the funding gap between research and market entry. This dextrose sugar plant is the kind of technology that has the potential to generate jobs, growth and export opportunities, and to bring lasting economic, environmental and health benefits to Canadians and the world.”