The following statement was read in the House of Assembly today by the Honourable Andrew Parsons, KC, Minister of Industry, Energy and Technology:

Speaker, last week the Premier and I were pleased to be in Come By Chance to celebrate the refinery’s 50-year history in the community and mark the beginning of a new era with the launch of renewable fuel production.

In February, Braya Renewable Fuels successfully commenced refinery operations, converting the traditional petroleum refinery into a renewable fuel production facility, investing more than $1 billion into our province and drastically reducing emissions.

Our government recognizes the importance of this refinery and the jobs it supplies directly and indirectly to the local communities, to the region, and to the entire province. It’s why, in January of 2021, we provided $16.6 million in funding to keep the refinery in warm-idle mode, as the owners at the time searched for a buyer or investor.

We were pleased that our support provided the owners with the time necessary to secure the investment to convert the refinery to sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel production, securing employment for workers and a long-term, environmentally sustainable solution.

On March 27, Braya’s first ever shipment of biofuel, produced from soya bean oil, was exported from Newfoundland and Labrador to a customer based in California.

Speaker, I ask Honourable Members to join me in congratulating Braya Renewables, its employees and the Come By Chance region on this milestone.