Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has opened its new oilseeds processing plant, Louis Dreyfus Company (Tianjin) Food Technology Company Limited, located in the Binhai New Area District of the Tianjin Free Trade Zone, China. With a daily soybean crushing capacity of 4,000 tons and a daily oil refining capacity of 1,200 tons, the plant will bolster LDC’s supply of soybean meal, crude soybean oil and refined edible vegetable oil to meet the needs of partners and consumers in China.

The plant’s bottling, filling, packaging and storage facilities also prepare LDC to go downstream in the supply chain by introducing packed oil. The production line for refined oil commenced operations in June, with small-packaged edible oil production expected to begin at the end of the year.

“We are delighted to announce the opening of the new plant, which enhances our soybean processing capabilities in China, a vital market for LDC, and will help us to respond to rapidly increasing demand for protein and safe, high-quality food products in the country,” says Margarita Louis-Dreyfus, Chairperson of Louis Dreyfus Holding BV. “We have been investing in China for over 40 years and are committed to leveraging our scale and expertise as a global merchant and processor of agricultural products to support the country’s sustainable development, with a focus on innovation and working closely with our local partners.”

LDC has also focused on ensuring a high-safety environment for employees working at the Tianjin Plant, and on integrating sustainable, energy-efficient technologies such as LED lighting and solar roofing.