WILTON, CONNECTICUT, US – Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) announced on Oct. 20 that it will begin construction of a soybean processing plant in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, US.

Construction of the facility, which will have an annual soy crushing capacity of 1.5 million tonnes, will begin in early 2024, the company said. The plant will also produce soybean oil and lecithin, with annual production capacities of 320,000 and 7,500 tonnes, respectively.

“This strategic development will further strengthen LDC’s core merchandizing capabilities with additional capacity to originate and process US soy into value-added products – in this case edible oils and lecithin, reinforcing our position as a partner to food and feed customers as we grow our Food & Feed Solutions business established in January,” said Michael Gelchie, LDC’s chief executive officer. “The new plant also provides an option to participate in renewable energy feedstock markets and help meet growing demand for biofuels.”

It is the latest expansion of the oilseeds footprint in North America for The Netherlands-based LDC.

“Reflecting our long-term commitment to North America as a key market for LDC, both in terms of origination and distribution, this new facility will leverage LDC’s existing regional logistics network and synergies with our other integrated oilseed processing facilities in the region: our recently-expanded crushing, biodiesel refining, and glycerin and lecithin production complex in Claypool (IN), US, and our canola processing plant in Yorkton (SK), Canada, which we are also expanding,” said Gordon Russell, LDC’s US head of Grains & Oilseeds.

In its most recent earnings report, LDC said its global footprint of the Grains & Oilseeds platform was key in securing strong financial performance in the first half of the year. High crop yields in Brazil and strong demand from China opened opportunities at origin and destination for the company’s soy and corn businesses, it said.

“Processing activities also contributed positively to the platform’s performance thanks to strong crush and crack margins, particularly in North America and Brazil,” the company said.