November 8, 2016 - Paul Morden, The Observer - There isn't a better place in the world than Sarnia-Lambton for Comet Biorefining's first commercial plant to extract cellulosic sugars from corn stalks and leaves, and wheat stalks, says the company's founder.Andrew Richard, founder of the London-based company, spoke Tuesday during a demonstration day held by a new farm co-op established to supply corn stover and wheat straw to Comet's proposed new Sarnia manufacturing plant.Farmland in Lambton and surrounding areas is �some of the most productive acres you'll find in North America,� Richard said.And it's near Sarnia where so much of the infrastructure a new industry requires can be found, and where Comet already has industrial customers for its sugar, he said.�It's a phenomenal place to start from.�Comet Biorefining plans to have a manufacturing plant built and operating on the TransAlta site in Sarnia by 2018.Richard said Comet is also likely to move its offices from London to Sarnia, �as we get ready to roll out this first facility.�The project was the result of work by Sarnia-based Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, and its partners in agriculture and industry, who went looking for opportunities to turn crop residue into sugar for industrial uses.That led the partners to London-based Comet, a company that later received $10.9 million from the federal government to help it build a Sarnia manufacturing site.Comet has a demonstration plant in Italy but Sarnia will be the location of its first commercial-scale manufacturing operation.Tuesday's demonstration at the Forest-area farm of Brad Goodhill marks the beginning of efforts to attract members to the co-op that will supply the Comet plant in Sarnia, and also own a piece of the facility.�We consider the co-op our most important partner,� Richard said.�This will be a key driver for us as we develop this first plant.�A second demonstration is set for Thursday, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., at 1677 Johnston Rd., near Bothwell.The field demonstrations are an opportunity for farmers to see machinery the co-op will use to collect and bale a portion of the corn stover and wheat straw from fields after harvest, so it can be trucked to the Comet plant.�The co-op will be 100 per cent farmer owned,� said co-op secretary Jim Campbell.�And the farmers who own the co-op will also be the suppliers of the bio-mass that the plant we're going to own shares in, requires.�Campbell said that ownership stake came about because farmers involved in creating the co-op didn't want to be just a commodity supplier�When the plant is built, the co-op will own something around 30 per cent of the plant,� he said.Farmers are being asked to invest $200 per acre in the co-op, which is looking to arrange to have 55,000 acres of supply in place to grow 75,000 tonnes of bio-mass expected to be needed by the plant.As well as being paid for the corn stover and wheat straw supplied to the plant, co-op members would receive a share of proceeds from the manufacturing site.�I see it as a value-added opportunity, and a way to vertically integrate ourselves into the marketplace,� said co-op president Dave Park.The co-op is planning to host town hall meetings in December to answer questions from farmers interested in becoming members, he said. ;pmorden@postmedia.com
