The Minister of Industry is confident that production will begin at Come By Chance this year.

It was first announced a little over a year ago that the former oil refinery, now known as Braya Renewable Fuels, would be converted into a producer of renewable diesel and aviation fuel.

Estimates at the time suggested that the facility would be up and running by mid 2022. However, now questions have been raised about timelines for the ongoing conversion work and when they hope to start production.

Andrew Parsons says routine delays pushed the project past the initial mid-2022 target. However, the tragic flash fire at the facility last year, which claimed the life of one man and sent seven others to hospital, is what caused the current delays.

After that tragic incident he says there was a lot of work to be done in terms of the investigation, as well as with the workers and their families to make sure they feel safe at the site. He notes that things have “ramped up significantly” at the site once again.

Parsons’ understanding is that they are still looking at production this year. He doesn’t have a specific timeframe, but he has received no indication that things aren’t moving forward.