Cargill Expands Rapeseed Crushing in France

The Montoir plant will process up to 600,000 metric tonnes of rapeseed a year, increasing Cargill’s oilseed crush capacity in France by 50 percent. The vast majority of this will be sourced locally.

18/09/08 Cargill has inaugurated a new €65-million rapeseed crush plant in the port of Montoir in western France. The company has made the investment in partnership with Sofiprotéol, which promotes the marketing and processing of oilseeds in France.  Cargill is the majority shareholder of the Montoir facility and will assume all managerial and operational responsibilities. 
 
“Cargill has significant investments in this region of France, and the new plant complements our grain and oilseed operations in Saint-Nazaire and Brest”, said Hervé de Praingy, head of Cargill’s oilseed crushing and refining operations in France.  “The state-of-the-art facility will supply the food, animal feed and biodiesel industries nationally and demonstrates the company’s importance to French agriculture.” 
 
The Montoir plant will process up to 600,000 metric tonnes of rapeseed a year, increasing Cargill’s oilseed crush capacity in France by 50 percent. The vast majority of this will be sourced locally, providing a major new outlet for local farmers. 

The rapeseed crushed will produce 250,000 metric tonnes of rapeseed oil per year, as well as 350,000 metric tonnes of rapeseed meal.  The oil will supply the French food and biodiesel industries, with a significant volume transferred via pipeline to Diester Atlantique’s biodiesel production plant.  The biodiesel produced by Diester Atlantique – in which Cargill is a minority shareholder – will help France meet the renewable fuel obligations outlined by the French government. 
 
The rapeseed meal will be sold to the local animal feed market, providing an important new protein source for dairy and livestock farmers in western France. 
 
“Montoir is ideally located due to its proximity to rapeseed production and also livestock and dairy farmers”, continued de Praingy.  “We also benefit from an excellent local transport infrastructure.  Much of the rapeseed and rapeseed oil will be transported by train, water and pipeline connection, greatly reducing the environmental footprint of this site.” 
 
“Cargill is a food and feed company, with a biofuels component and the new plant will be a major supplier to all three”, Greg Page, Cargill chairman and chief executive officer, said at the opening ceremony.  “We believe that all three sectors can co-exist under the right conditions.  This investment is an example of how we apply our global expertise to local circumstances, helping both customers and farmers adjust and capture opportunities in a fast-changing and often volatile environment.”