Sime Darby looking to open facility in France

Palm oil supplier Sime Darby Plantation is looking at firming up plans to open a new oil processing facility in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France, citing growing demand for edible oils in southern Europe.

The company said that the proposed plant, to be located in the coastal town of Port-la-Nouvelle, would complement its palm oil refinery operations in the Netherlands, which is owned by its European subsidiary, Sime Darby Unimills.

Sime revealed its goal of having palm-based feedstock for the processing site in Port-la-Nouvelle eventually sourced from its operations in Liberia.

In the shorter term, it said that certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) for the French site would be obtained from other internal sources while other vegetable oils will be sourced externally, potentially from farmers in the region.

"While we continue to assess other potential locations in Europe as well as other parts of the world, the Port-la-Nouvelle location has the added advantage of local feedstock supply as well as its proximity to Sime Darby Plantation's operations in Liberia," said Sime Darby Bhd president and group CEO Dato' Mohd Bakke Salleh.