Adding value to oilseeds

Crushing and refining

Crushing and refining, which are the first steps in adding value to oilseed crops, are the core business of Saipol and its romanian subsidiary Expur.

The companies use rapeseed and sunflower to produce raw and refined vegetable oils for food, biofuels, and chemistry. Grain residues left after oil extraction, called oil cakes, are sold to animal nutrition industries.

Saipol is the French leader in oilseed grain crushing and oil refining, with a crushing capacity à 4 million tons, represent more than 70% of the nation’s capacity.

Expur, its Romanian subsidiary acquired in 2009, has a crushing capacity of 380,000 tons of seeds. Expur also collects seeds, packages edible oils and produces biodiesel.

Food

Adding benefits and value to edible oils for human consumption is the core business of Lesieur.

Lesieur is France’s leader in processing and selling edible oils. The company also produces specialty dressings and condiments.

Lesieur joined the Sofiprotéol Group in 2003. It enjoys a high profile among France’s general public thanks to a portfolio of well-known brands (e.g., Lesieur, Isio, and Puget).

Renewable energies

Diester Industrie is a major player in the development of oilseed crops intended for renewable energy.
Diester Industrie produces biodiesel (biofuel for diesel vehicles), marketed under the brand Diester ® in France, and co-produced, vegetable glycerin.
With its subsidiary Diester Industrie International, the company holds a production capacity of 3 million tons of biodiesel, making Diester Industrie the European leader in the production of biodiesel and its by-product, glycerin.

Learn more about Diester Industrie

Renewable chemistry

Oleon and Novance, leaders of the European oleochemical industry, process vegetable oils and fats into a multitude of molecules and renewable products for the industry (food, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, solvents, detergents, paints, lubricants, etc.)..

These derived oils, highly innovative and environmentally friendly, are substitutes to traditional petroleum-based products, and also open a wide field of possibilities to build tomorrow's renewable chemistry.

This innovative business offers promising possibilities for adding value to oilseed crops.