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GreenField Ethanol breaks ground on its largest plant in Hensall

HENSALL, Ontario

GreenField Ethanol, Canada's leading ethanol producer, today officially broke ground for its largest state-of-the-art ethanol production facility in Hensall, Ontario.

This 200-million litre per year ethanol plant will be GreenField Ethanol's fourth and largest facility to date. Approximately 20-million bushels of Ontario corn per year will be used to produce ethanol at the plant, which will be operational by mid-2008.

"GreenField Ethanol is truly proud to be part of the local community," said Bob Gallant, President and CEO of GreenField Ethanol. "The Hensall facility will provide not only about 50 local jobs but also an added boost to the area's economy."

The plant was officially opened by Carol Mitchell, MPP for Huron-Bruce, Paul Steckle, MP for Huron-Bruce, Mayor of Bluewater Municipality Bill Dowson and GreenField Ethanol's Vice-President of Corporate Affairs Bliss Baker.

"Both the Government of Ontario and the Municipality of Bluewater have been very supportive of our business. That support, along with the fact that our major suppliers are in close proximity to the facility, made the decision to invest in Hensall an easy one," said Gallant.

The Ontario government has mandated that all gasoline sold in Ontario contain an average of five per cent ethanol by 2007. The figure will double to ten per cent by 2010. The Canadian government has also promised that all fuel in Canada will contain five per cent ethanol by 2010.

GreenField and the Hensall District Co-op, one of Canada's largest agricultural co-operatives, have identified several business opportunities that will enable them to work collaboratively in the operation of the Hensall plant.

GreenField Ethanol runs Ontario Buy Direct, a new exclusive program that will benefit Ontario corn growers by encouraging them to sell directly to the ethanol plant and improving their grain marketing options. The program is only available to Ontario farmers and offers producers several grain-marketing alternatives to manage their risk, provide control over cash flow, potentially increase profitability and provide contract flexibility. The program offers a variety of sales contracts such as "Futures First," a contract that allows producers to lock into futures prices today and set the basis prior to delivery.

Photo: Paul Steckle, MP for Huron-Bruce, Carol Mitchel, MPP for Huron-Bruce, Bliss Baker, , Earl Wagner, head of the Hensall District Co-op, Corn Cob Bob, and Bill Dowson, Mayor of the Municipality of Bluewater, turn sod at the groundbreaking ceremony for GreenField's Hensall plant.

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Quick Facts

The Canadian government estimates: "If 35 percent of gasoline in Canada contained ten percent ethanol, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 1.8 megatonnes per year (1.8 million tonnes), which is the equivalent of removing more than 400,000 vehicles from the road."