October 24, 2023

 

Louis Dreyfus to construct Ohio, US soybean plant amid North American expansion

 

Louis Dreyfus Company has announced its plans to establish a soybean-processing plant in Ohio, United States. This move aligns with the surging growth of oilseed crushing in North America, driven by the increasing use of biofuels, Reuters reported.

 

The company will commence construction early in 2024 for the facility located in Upper Sandusky. This new plant is set to have an annual soy-crushing capacity of 1.5 million metric tonnes, according to the company's statement.

 

Moreover, the plant will have the capability to produce 320,000 metric tonnes of edible soybean oil and 7,500 metric tonnes of lecithin annually.

 

Dreyfus expects the construction to conclude by 2026.

 

The Regional Growth Partnership, a local economic development organisation, reported that Dreyfus intends to allocate US$500 million to this facility.

 

The newly established plant is designed to cater to a variety of markets, including food, livestock feed, and the ever-growing biofuel industry.

 

The expansion of US soybean crushing capacity is anticipated to reach as high as 30% over the next three years. This surge is primarily driven by the growing demand for vegetable oil to supply new renewable diesel production facilities.

 

Archer Daniels Midland, another prominent global crop merchant, has already initiated the launch of new crushing plants in North Dakota this autumn, as part of a partnership with Marathon, the oil company.

 

Earlier this year, Dreyfus announced plans to more than double the size of its Canadian canola crushing plant located in Yorkton, Saskatchewan.

 

-      Reuters