Future largest sugar refinery in Canada opens in Hamilton

A new sugar refinery that will one day be the largest in Canada was officially opened at Pier 15 in the Port of Hamilton last week, a $135 million facility that will strengthen Canada’s agri‑food and food processing supply chain for “decades to come.”

The Sucro Can refinery is designed to receive raw sugar by vessel and distribute refined products to customers across Ontario, Quebec and the U.S. midwest.

A private sector investment enabled by port infrastructure and financing, the project represents a dozen-year partnership in Hamilton and is expected to scale production over time to a refining capacity of up to one million metric tonnes annually and support long-term industrial employment at the port.

Sucro Can first established operations at the port with its initial building lease at Pier 10 in 2014, marking the company’s entry into Hamilton as its Canadian refining base. Construction of the new refinery began two years ago and was completed last month, delivering new industrial capacity – purpose‑built for long‑term growth – and supply‑chain reliability.

“The facility is supported by HOPA’s investments in multimodal port infrastructure and a financing partnership that enabled the project to advance on an accelerated timeline,” said HOPA Ports CEO Ian Hamilton. “This is a clear example of how public private partnerships in trade-enabling infrastructure can unlock significant private sector capital.”

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, allowing Sucro Can to efficiently receive raw sugar and reliably distribute refined products to food manufacturers across the Great Lakes.

“For our team, completing this refinery is a proud milestone,” said Sucro Can founder and CEO Jonathan Taylor. “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.”

Sugar demand continues to rise, particularly in Ontario, which is home to one of North America’s largest food and beverage manufacturing clusters. Approximately 85 per cent of sugar sold in Canada is used by food manufacturers, making dependable domestic refining capacity essential to economic growth and food security.

The refinery will gradually increase volumes year over year, 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.

“The refinery has also strengthened supply-chain confidence across the region, a catalyst to food-processing companies making new investments and expanding operations,” added 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.