Bunge to boost canola processing at Alberta plant

US-based agribusiness and food company Bunge has announced plans to increase the capacity at the second of its four canola processing plants in Western Canada.

The proposed project would more than double the current capacity of 850Mt a day at the facility in Ft Saskatchewan, Alberta, and the expansion is expected to go online in 2014.

In October 2010, Bunge said that it would more than double the crushing capacity at the facility in Altona, Manitoba, as part of a multi-year expansion programme in Canada.

While most of the oil and meal produced from the expansion in Altona will remain in North America, the additional product from Ft Saskatchewan will go to both North American and offshore markets, the company said.

Bunge North America president and CEO Soren Schroder said that expanding and upgrading the capacity in Canada is a natural way to grow Bunge’s North American business as domestic and export demand for both canola oil and meal continues to increase.

"By increasing capacity in Ft Saskatchewan, we are also improving operational efficiency so that we can better serve all of our customers in the value chain, from farmers to food and feed manufacturers," Schroder added.