The UK’s commodities trading and supply chain company RCMA Group has invested £25m in its new rapeseed processing plant in Atherstone on Stour, near Stratford-upon-Avon.

The new facility is set to commence operations later this year.

The plant will have the capacity to process an annual seed crush of 100,000t, which produces 40,000t of refined edible rapeseed oil.

The facility will also process 100% UK-grown seed to meet growing demand.

RCMA Group chairman Doug King said: “Not only are we adding the first brand-new large-scale rapeseed processing facility in the UK since the 1980s, we have commissioned a highly sustainable approach to processing, reflecting our commitment to a more environmentally friendly industry.”

The facility will be equipped with a biomass-fuelled combined heat and power (CHP) plant to generate its own internal energy requirements from UK forestry residues and offcuts.

It will be constructed close to a grain store, thereby reducing the ‘food miles’ associated with transporting the raw materials into the facility.

RCMA is also working with farmers’ co-operative, Camgrain, the grain store operator, to build relationships with UK seed growers.

Fuelled by health-conscious consumers, the consumption of rapeseed oil continues to grow, and RCMA is anticipating a strong outlook for quality vegetable oil with traceable UK provenance from farm to table.