HAMILTON, ONT. — Sucro Can Canada said it will more than double sugar refining capacity at its Hamilton, Ont., refinery to meet growing sugar demand from Ontario food manufacturers.

The expansion will allow the Hamilton refinery to reach 200,000 tonnes annual capacity by 2024. It’s the third major expansion in a five-year period.

“Sucro Can has innovated and invested in micro sugar refineries to serve its rapidly increasing customer base with competitive alternatives and supply chain excellence not previously available,” said Jonathan Taylor, founder and chief executive officer of Sucro Can. “Not only is Sucro Can growing faster than any other Canadian sugar refiner, but it is the only sugar refinery in Canada that is logistically interconnected with a refinery across the US border in Lackawanna, NY (scheduled to open later in 2022). Collectively, these two refineries offer unparalleled opportunities and solutions for North American food manufacturing customers.”

The Ontario sugar market is one of, if not, the fastest growing sugar markets in North America with customer demand projected to continue growing at above market averages for several years, the company said.

“Sucro Can is ideally positioned to meet this increased demand, with increased capacity beginning in 2023,” said Eli Cohen, vice president of sales and operations at Sucro Can Canada. “We expect Sucro Can’s market share in Ontario to exceed 25%.

“Sucro Can’s sugar refinery is the first built in Canada in over 60 years and has provided much needed capacity, competition and innovation in the Canadian sugar market. Through its unique refinery design and logistics, Sucro Can is able to increase capacity at a significantly lower cost than its competitors.”