Cargill invests $163 million in French sunflower processing expansion

Cargill will invest €150 million (about USD 163 million) to expand and modernize its sunflower processing facility in Saint-Nazaire. This initiative aims to strengthen the company’s position in Western Europe’s plant-protein feed market and reduce reliance on imported protein meal.

The project will enable the facility to produce high and super-high protein sunflower meal for the animal feed sector, replacing lower-protein meal. Cargill stated that this investment will offer French sunflower growers a stable domestic market as sunflower cultivation increases nationwide. Alexis Cazin, president of Cargill’s Agriculture and Trading business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said the project will connect local farmers with rising demand for higher-value feed ingredients and support France’s competitiveness in global feed markets.

The investment includes upgrades to the plant’s energy infrastructure to reduce its environmental impact. Cargill stated that a new biomass boiler fueled by sunflower hulls will reduce natural gas consumption by over 100 gigawatt-hours annually and lower carbon dioxide emissions by about 20,000 metric tons per year, representing roughly 90% of the site’s emissions. Excess sunflower hulls will be processed into biomass pellets for external customers, including district heating systems.

Construction is set to begin in November 2026, with commissioning planned for March 2029. The Saint-Nazaire facility currently employs 75 people, and the expansion will create seven additional jobs. The project is supported by ADEME and the France 2030 industrial investment initiative.

Cargill stated that the Saint-Nazaire project is part of a broader investment program in France, which also includes approximately €25 million (USD 27 million) in Baupte, €50 million (USD 54 million) in Saint-Cyr-en-Val near Orléans, and €61 million (USD 66 million) for upgrades at its Haubourdin site. The company has operated in France since 1964 and currently runs 14 sites employing about 2,000 people nationwide.