This article is taken from the November 30, 2023 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
Cargill has completed an expansion and modernization project at its integrated soybean crush and refined oils facility in Sidney, OH. The upgrade almost doubles the facility’s previous crush capacity — allowing it to process 60 million bushels per year. The facility is located on a CSX line, and the expansion is expected to increase local demand for truck and rail transportation.
Last month, Louis Dreyfus Company announced plans for a $500 million soybean processing plant in Upper Sandusky, OH. Construction is expected to finish by 2026, and the new facility will be able to process about 55 million bushels per year.
According to Farm and Dairy, the two new plants will bring Ohio’s total soybean crush capacity to nearly 210 million bushels per year — up 35% from current levels. Nationwide, soybean crush capacity is growing, spurred by rising demand for renewable diesel, for which soybean oil is a principal feedstock. The other byproduct, soybean meal, is used as livestock feed and is increasingly being exported abroad.