Port authority HOPA Ports has stepped in to safeguard the biofuel facility at Canada’s Port of Hamilton in Ontario, helping to ensure its continued operation.

The plant, formerly operated by Biox, has been producing biofuels on port lands in Hamilton for more than two decades, HOPA Ports said in a statement on its website last week.

It converts used cooking oil, animal fats, and seed oils into renewable fuel, with a capacity to make 67 million litres a year.

On August 15, HOPA reached a deal with former owners World Energy/Hartree to secure the plant’s assets.

This prevented the sale of key equipment and preserved the site’s ability to operate again. HOPA is now in talks with potential partners to find a new operator.

“We applaud the Province of Ontario for its prompt action, and we are grateful to Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath for her steadfast advocacy with Premier Ford and the provincial government,” Ian Hamilton, President and CEO of HOPA Ports, said.