Suncor opens Canada's largest ethanol plant

Suncor Energy Products Inc. opened the taps Mondayat the biggest ethanol plant in Canada.

The $220-million plant in St. Clair Township, near Sarnia, Ont., will produce an estimated 200 million litres of ethanol a year using 20 million bushels of surplus corn.

Tom Ryley, executive vice president of Suncor, said the facility "demonstrates Suncor's commitment to renewable fuels in Ontario."

Suncor has been mixing ethanol into its Sunoco-branded gasoline since 1996, allowing drivers to reduce carbon-monoxide emissions by up to 30 per cent.

Ethanol is also used as a gas-line antifreeze in winter.