Funding for government supported biodiesel production has recently made headlines in Canada as the Canadian government plans to invest $72.4 million into Biox, a Canadian run biofuel production company, as part of a $1.5 billion biofuel development plan to help stimulate the alternative fuel industry over the next 9 years. The funds come as a much awaited leap forward for the company since its announcement a few years ago to become an IPO in order to generate $150 million to develop production facilities – a plan that ultimately failed at the time due to various reasons, the least of which being a lack of market interest in the alternative fuel industry.

For Biox and consumers alike this means a major step forward in creating sustainable alternative fuels, as currently Biox is one of the largest providers of biofuels within the country. In fact, according to many company statements, Biox production in its Hamilton plant alone produces a continuous 67 million liters of biodiesel each year and has been labeled “one of the largest continuous flow biodiesel plants in the world”.

Utilizing the additional funding Biox intends to develop further production facilities throughout Canada with a primary focus on Quebec. These facilities will contribute to the overall biodiesel production and, utilizing modern technology, provide a 100% vegetable oil to fuel conversion rate for all products.

While it’s true that biofuels are not as eco-friendly as many other alternative energy sources such as solar or wind power due to their higher levels of carbon emissions through the burning process they are still significantly cleaner than conventional petroleum fuels used today. In fact, it is speculated that the production facilities being developed will be able to provide for up to a 40% reduction in carbon emissions through their fuels initially alone while assisting with the recycling of waste vegetable oil and provide a more “carbon neutral” solution to local and international consumers alike while reducing the overall dependence on foreign oil – a major positive point for all consumers.