Sunoco ethanol plant in Volney receives $200,000 grant

VOLNEY, N.Y. — The Sunoco ethanol manufacturing plant in the town of Volney has received a $200,000 grant as part of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $709 million Regional Economic Development Council initiative.

The grant will help fund construction costs of an estimated $1 million weigh station, consisting of two scales and a scale house at Owens Road and Route 57 in Volney, Sunoco said in a news release.

“We are very excited to have received this much needed award,” Tim Hardy, plant manager, said in the release. “We currently have one scale which is used for inbound and outbound traffic, and the area is usually congested and backed up because of it. The project will alleviate traffic problems by allowing trucks through more efficiently.”

The proposed scales will be constructed deeper into the plant, allowing trucks to be properly stacked while waiting to be weighed, the release stated.  A new scale house will provide a more suitable space for employees to work and will include a locker room and restrooms for employees.

The project is expected to break ground this April, with construction to be completed by June 1. Sunoco said it expects to use local and regional construction contractors for the project.

The Volney plant is the first ethanol-processing facility owned and operated by Sunoco, and is located on 115 acres that was formerly home to a Miller Brewing plant from 1971-1994. The plant has the capacity to produce 85 million gallons of ethanol fuel per year, according to the release.