Cenovus Energy will stop operations at its Lloydminster Ethanol Plant on Dec. 15, the company confirmed to BorderPulse Monday.

The closure applies only to the ethanol plant. It does not affect their other operations in Lloydminster, the company said.

BorderPulse asked Cenovus this week after multiple readers reported rumours that the Lloydminster refinery could close because of U.S. tariffs.

“The decision is unrelated to U.S. tariffs,” media relations representatives said in a statement to BorderPulse.

The company said the closure follows an economic review of the ethanol plant.

The company said they are working to move affected employees into other roles within the company. The company did not release a current staffing number.

A 2017 report by Brunsdon Lawrek and Associates, prepared for the City of Lloydminster, listed the plant as one of the largest ethanol facilities in Western Canada, employing 25 to 30 full-time staff at the time. That figure is nearly a decade old and may not reflect current staffing.

The ethanol plant building will stay standing while Cenovus reviews possible future uses for it, the company said.

Cenovus said it has notified suppliers, customers and regulators of the closure.