Independent commodities trading and supply chain company, RCMA Group, is constructing a state-of-the-art rapeseed processing plant located in Atherstone on Stour, near Stratford-upon-Avon, investing £25m in the project and creating in excess of 30 local jobs. The new facility will be operational in 2018 to process an annual seed crush of 100,000 tonnes, producing 40,000 tonnes of refined edible oil. It will process 100% UK-grown seed to meet growing demand from UK buyers for a fully traceable supply chain, producing high quality ingredients for the food industry.

The innovative agro-energy business will be a biomass-fuelled Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant enabling RCMA Stratford to be one of the most energy-efficient producers in the UK, generating its own heat and power from UK forestry residues and offcuts. Locating the operation in the heart of the country reduces transportation requirements for raw materials and finished products, which will also include high-quality protein-protected rape cake for animal feedstuffs.

RCMA is already developing strong partnerships locally. Along with its civil engineering contractor, Dawnus, RCMA is supporting local charity, Forest of Hearts, which is developing a sustainable forest garden in Stratford, with a focus on conservation and bio-diversity.

The RCMA Group is an independent commodities trading and supply chain group with over 230 years of history in the commodity markets. The strength of its commodity heritage, combined with the expertise of its global teams and vast network of local operators, enable RCMA to deliver unrivalled value with a local touch to clients globally. The Group is active in the polymer, cotton, sugar, coffee, vegetable oils, energy and electricity retailing markets. The RCMA Group ships more than 1 million metric tons worldwide and is headquartered in Singapore, with a growing presence in the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Americas and Africa with over 250 employees across their 18 global locations.