Bunge to Erect New Plant for Plant-Based Fats and Oils

Agribusiness Bunge announced that its plant-based lipids business, Bunge Loders Croklaan, plans to invest €300 million (about $345 million) in a new production facility for plant-based fats and oils in the HoogTij industrial area in the Port of Amsterdam.

The location will replace a refinery in Rotterdam that was sold last year. Bunge Loders Croklaan will also transfer production from its Wormerveer site to the Port of Amsterdam facility.

“This new facility enables us to offer a broader and more innovative product portfolio of sustainable plant-based oils and fats that better positions us to meet future market demand,” said David Vandermeersch, vice president, EMEA for Bunge Loders Croklaan, in a company release. “The new plant will be built according to the latest technological standards, resulting in a highly efficient and sustainable facility with direct energy savings of 40% and expected CO2 reduction of 90% by 2030.”

Bunge expects work on the site to reach completion in 2024. The firm will relocate production from the Wormerveer facility in phases the following year.

Rival agribusiness Cargill said this week that it is committing $100 million to expand production of specialty fats at a facility in Malaysia. The company will boost the site’s dry palm fractionation capabilities to enable the production of a variety of specialty fats products used in chocolate, spreads, fillings, and other applications.