On January 29, 2026, Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) announced the start-up of a new specialized seed processing line at its agribusiness complex in Timbues, Santa Fe province, Argentina. The new line will increase the company’s capacity to process high-oil seeds and further diversify offerings for the domestic market.
These investments enable the plant to handle a broader range of oilseeds, including camelina, carinata, rapeseed, and sunflower, complementing existing soybean processing capabilities and allowing for more efficient utilization of production assets throughout the year according to seasonal availability.
With the new line, the plant will be able to process additional oilseeds into both meal and oil. The meal will be used as animal feed, while the oil will support the production of advanced biofuels such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO), helping to close the gap between supply and demand and assisting customers in meeting their energy transition commitments.
“Implementing these new processing capacities in Timbues not only improves operational efficiency year-round, but also allows us to integrate a wider range of crops into our regional operations, offering more flexible and diversified solutions for both domestic and international customers,” said Fernando Correa, LDC’s regional head.
The new crushing line and associated equipment allow the Timbues plant to process up to 3,000 tons of oilseeds per day during periods of lower seasonal activity, alternating with the regular capacity of 7,000 tons of soybeans per day during the rest of the year.
The investments include installation of specialized equipment designed for high-oil seed processing, including five specialized presses, one rotary cooker, three vertical cookers, two impurity separators, and two decanters.
