A new soybean crush plant in North Dakota — about 150 miles from the Canada-U.S. border — has started receiving soybeans as it ramps up operations.
The North Dakota Soybean Processors (NDSP) facility at Casselton, ND — just west of Fargo — has been designed to process 125 thousand bushels per day and 42.5 million bushels in its first year. The plant will produce refined soybean oil for renewable fuel and food uses, as well as soy meal and soyhull pellets for livestock feed.
“We are proud to announce that NDSP has successfully begun dumping soybeans and is finalizing construction for a September start-up,” says NDSP president Tom Malecha, in a July 30 update.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours are planned for Wednesday, August 7.
The Casselton plant is a joint venture between CGB Enterprises and Minnesota Soybean Processors. CGB — Consolidated Grain and Barge Co. — is based in Louisiana and owned by Japanese companies Zen-Noh and Itochu, which also owns 49.9 per cent of Manitoba-based pork producer HyLife Foods. Minnesota Soybean Processors is a 2,300-member cooperative that owns and operates a soybean crushing and biodiesel refining facility in Brewster, Minnesota
“By processing soybeans locally, we’re about to offer higher contract prices per bushel than export contracts, providing better returns for area farmers, which, in turn, provides a positive economic impact on our whole region,” notes Jeramie Weller, CEO of Minnesota Soybean Processors.
ADM and Marathon Petroleum Corp. commissioned North Dakota’s first dedicated soybean processing facility in late 2023. Their Green Bison Soybean Processing plant at Spiritwood, ND is designed to process 150 thousand bushels per day.
Epitome Energy has also started construction on a third major soybean crush facility in North Dakota, on the north side of Grand Forks, — just 75 miles south of Emerson, Manitoba. The Epitome plant is designed to process 42 million bushels per year, and as of May, was slated to begin operating in 2026.
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Soybean crush plant planned for west of Fargo, North Dakota
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