Kawartha Ethanol plans to be first to operate east of Toronto

HAVELOCK — There could be four ethanol plants operating in Ontario east of Toronto in 2009. As it stands, there are now three proposed ethanol plants — FarmTech Energy in Oshawa, Upper Canada Ethanol in Napanee, Kawartha Ethanol in Havelock— and Greenfield Ethanol now under construction near Prescott.

While Greenfield plans to be processing corn this December, Kawartha Ethanol hopes to be up and running by October. Meantime, Upper Canada Ethanol plans to break ground on construction in May.

Kawartha Ethanol is a consortium of corn growers who began construction on a $60-million plant at Havelock on the former 18-acre 3M site in October. Coverall structures for the by-product, dried distiller grain, was partially constructed by mid-January. The project was incubated by three local farmers in 1990, including chief executive officer Randy Drew. "We took all the risks in the beginning," he said. As the project grew, they hand-picked corn producers to be investors and owners. "We (corn producers) got tired of having no control in the market and decided to change things for ourselves. We were tired of being victims of supply," Drew said. "This was a once in a lifetime opportunity."

The Kawartha Ethanol board meets next month to decide on contracting corn.

Unlike most Ontario Ethanol plants, Kawartha Ethanol is not built on water. Most of the corn will come from local buyers, Drew said, adding that the site has miles of railway sidings, natural gas and a new 30,000 ft. building acquired from the previous owner.

Drew says Kawartha Ethanol is constructing a zero-energy plant, which includes natural lighting. Energy will come from the processing. The group calls the proposed self-sufficient plant "the mother ship."

This is no fly-by-night operation. "I have been in ethanol plants hundreds of times since the late 90s," he said. "And we are looking down the road beyond ethanol" at other projects.

The plant will employ 45 to 60 people full-time and be a boon to an area that lost much agricultural infrastructure.