Desmet Ballestra expands green offering in Asia

As Malaysia positions itself to become a hub for Asia's palm oil industry and green technology, Europe-based Desmet Ballestra Group sees the country as a competitive platform to export its process engineering expertise in the region. Through its subsidiary, Desmet Ballestra (Malaysia), the group is setting up offices throughout Asia to be closer to its customers.

Trailblazing innovative ideas for 60 years, Desmet Ballestra is reputed globally for designing and supplying plants and equipment for the edible oils and fats, animal feeds, surfactants, detergents, oleochemicals and biodiesel industries. It has a strong foothold in more than 150 countries.

Leveraging its research and development facilities from its head office in Europe, Desmet Malaysia provides technical solutions for vegetable oils processing, such as palm oil in Malaysia, soya and rice bran in Thailand, and fish oil in Vietnam. For its market in China, the company focuses on rapeseed and soya.

Treating clients as long-term partners, 70 to 80 per cent of Desmet Malaysia's turnover is from repeat customers. "We offer advice, technical support and supervision, and assist clients in exploring new products," says Khoo Kiak Kern, managing director of Desmet Malaysia.

As the vegetable oil industry focuses more on energy efficiency and higher-quality end products, Desmet Malaysia's state-of-the-art equipment provides customers a better edge to meet increasing market demand. Desmet Malaysia is moving up the value chain and tapping into the growing market for speciality fats with its fully automated process, which allows competitive and energy-efficient ways to produce palm-based speciality fats.

Upholding its commitment to clean and sustainable energy, Desmet Malaysia supplies biodiesel technology to more than 20 plants in the region, with key markets in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.