HAMILTON, ONT. — Earlier this month Sucro Can Canada and HOPA Ports marked the official opening of the company’s new sugar refinery, located at Pier 15 in the Port of Hamilton.
According to a release, Sucro Can first established operations at the port with its initial building lease at Pier 10 in 2014.
An agreement for the new refinery at Pier 15 was finalized in 2023. Construction began on the $135 million facility in April 2024 and was completed in April 2026.
The refinery was designed and built to become Canada’s largest sugar refinery over time, with planned refining capacity of up to one million metric tonnes annually as operations continue to scale, the release adds.
“Located at the centre of Canada’s food manufacturing sector, the refinery sits within a day’s drive of 142 million consumers and provides direct access to marine, rail and highway transportation,” it reads. “This strategic location allows Sucro Can to efficiently receive raw sugar by vessel and reliably distribute refined products to food manufacturers across Ontario, Quebec and the U.S. Midwest, helping reduce reliance on currently constrained or distant sugar supply sources.”
Sugar demand continues to rise, particularly in Ontario, which is home to one of North America’s largest food and beverage manufacturing clusters.
The refinery will gradually increase volumes year-over-year, the release notes, receiving up to 10 vessels during its first year of full operations in 2026, increasing to approximately 14 vessels in 2027, with continued expansion as additional systems come online.
“For our team, completing this refinery is a proud milestone,” said Jonathan Taylor, founder and CEO of Sucro Can Canada in a statement. “We built this facility to serve customers reliably over the long term. As sugar opportunities continue to emerge, this refinery provides a leading Canadian based supply alternative that gives food manufacturers greater certainty, choice, and confidence in their supply chains, while creating skilled jobs here in Hamilton.”
The facility currently employs approximately 65 skilled workers, with employment expected to grow as additional processing systems come online. Operations include the production of dry and liquid refined sugar, packaged in industrial formats for food manufacturing customers.
