Sucro Can Canada and HOPA Ports have staged the official opening of Sucro Can’s new sugar refinery, located at Pier 15 in the Port of Hamilton. The refinery is a major investment which will strengthen Canada’s agri‑food and food processing supply chain for decades to come.
The project represents more than a decade of partnership at the Port of Hamilton. 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. Building on that foundation, an agreement for the new refinery at Pier 15 was finalized in 2023, setting the stage for the next phase of growth.
Construction of the new refinery began in April 2024 and was completed in April 2026, delivering new industrial capacity, purpose‑built for long‑term growth, and supply‑chain reliability.
The $135‑million facility was designed and built to become Canada’s largest sugar refinery over time, with planned refining capacity of up to 1 million metric tonnes annually as operations continue to scale.
“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 Ian Hamilton, President and CEO of HOPA Ports. “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. 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.
“For our team, completing this refinery is a proud milestone,” said Jonathan Taylor, Founder and CEO of Sucro Can Canada. “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% 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 Mr. Hamilton.
While the facility make take a decade to reach its full designed capacity, it was built with the flexibility to evolve alongside changing market needs, including potential future organic sugar production.
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.
The project builds on Hamilton’s expanding agri‑food ecosystem, complementing existing grain, liquid food‑grade transportation and processing infrastructure across HOPA’s integrated port network. Together, these investments support a more resilient, efficient, and competitive supply chain for Canada’s food manufacturing sectors.
(Photo from Port of Hamilton)