GOODLAND, KANSAS, US — Tapping into the growing renewable fuels market, Scoular will recommission a former sunflower crush plant and convert it into a dual oilseed crush plant for soybeans and canola in northwest Kansas.

Scoular purchased the Goodland, Kansas, US, facility in 2021, and following its conversion it is expected to begin operations in fall 2024 with up to 40 new jobs created. The facility will process 11 million bushels of oilseeds a year, rotating between canola and soybeans as availability dictates. As low-carbon crops such as camelina develop in the future, Scoular will be able to process those new seeds.   

Because of its high-oil content, canola is highly valued in the renewable fuels sector, particularly for use in the growing renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel markets, Scoular said in its March 14 announcement. Those markets will grow to over 5 billion gallons by 2025.    

“Scoular is bringing the canola market back to Kansas and Oklahoma,” said Ed Prosser, senior vice president of emerging businesses at Scoular. “This investment will provide producers with the opportunity to participate in the booming renewable fuels market.”  

Scoular is partnering with Kansas State University to advise farmers on best practices for growing canola. The crop is well-suited for planting in a winter wheat rotation in the Southern Great Plains. The rotation can improve weed control and wheat yields.  

“The recommissioning of the crush facility in Goodland will breathe new life into the Great Plains canola industry,” said Michael Stamm, an agronomist and canola breeder for Kansas State. “This facility will provide new opportunities for renewable diesel feedstock production, generating greater value for the canola grown in the region.” 

An employee-owned agribusiness based in Omaha, Nebraska, US, Scoular employs 1,400 people in more than 100 offices and facilities in North America and Asia. According to Sosland Publishing Co.’s 2023 Grain & Milling Annual, Scoular operates 48 country elevators and 15 processing plants in North America.