15/3/06 Cobham, UK (Grainnet.com)--Cargill is investing significantly in its Hamburg food-oil refinery in Germany to increase refining capacity, raise efficiency and further develop the company's production of value-added products.

Cargill will increase refining capacity for customised oil blends and other value-added fats by over 100,000 metric tonnes per year.

The investments will expand Cargill's ability to provide products with increased functionality, such as low trans-fatty acid and saturated fat content including interesterification expansion of 40,000 metric tonnes per year.

Cargill will be the first to use large-scale state-of-the-art enzyme technology.

As a further investment in Hamburg to reduce the cost of raw materials, Cargill is building a new jetty from which to unload tropical oil vessels.

The jetty will strengthen ties between Cargill's Asian palm plantations and its European tropical oil refineries.

Cargill's investment plans will allow the company to meet growing customer needs by enhancing its production of base products, such as palm oil and coconut oil, and expanding its range of value-added oils and fats.

Comments Jos de Loor, head of Cargill's refined oils business in Europe:

"The investments in the Hamburg facility will strengthen our position in the North and East European markets.

"It also represents a significant additional step into the market for value-added oils and fats.

"Cargill continues a committed employer in the Hamburg port."

Completion of the Hamburg investments is expected within a year.

Concludes de Loor: "With our geographic range and broad product portfolio of both multiple liquid and tropical oils, Cargill is in a unique market position to provide the solutions our customers need."

The Hamburg investment complements Cargill's ongoing expansions of its tropical oil refineries.

The earlier announced expansion of Cargill's Rotterdam refinery in coconut and palm kernel (lauric) oils to over 400,000 metric tonnes per year will further support the new interesterification capacity in Hamburg.

These investments strengthen Cargill's leadership position in palm and lauric oil refining, as well as in the production of value added oils and fats.