Alfa Laval to acquire Desmet

Alfa Laval has signed an agreement to acquire Desmet, which concentrates on  engineering and supplying processing plants and technologies for edible oils and the biofuel sectors.
The acquisition will strengthen Alfa Laval’s position in the renewable energy arena and complement its offering within edible oils.
Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Desmet employs around 1,000 people in Europe, India, Southeast Asia, North America and Latin America.
The business to be acquired, currently a part of the Desmet Ballestra Group, which had a turnover of €300 million in 2021.
The Desmet Ballestra Group is currently owned by Financière DSBG, and ultimately controlled by Kartesia and Farallon.
“The acquisition will be an excellent fit for our offering of specialised processing equipment designed to increase both yield and quality of customers’ end products,” said Tom Erixon, president and CEO of Alfa Laval. “It will add know-how and expertise to accelerate future innovations within food, feed and biofuels – and strengthen our ability to support the transformation towards renewable fuels.”
Philippe Bayet, president of the Desmet Ballestra Group, added: “I am proud to have contributed to the successful development of sustainable innovations and now I am delighted for Desmet, Rosedowns and Stolz to join forces with Alfa Laval to continue to be a worldwide leader in the oils and fats industry, and continue to serve customers globally.”
Laurent Bouvier, managing partner at Kartesia, and Philipp Strepp, managing director at Farallon Capital Europe LLP, said: “We are confident that the business is well-positioned to take advantage of the significant growth opportunities that lie ahead, particularly in the HVO pre-treatment market. We believe that Alfa Laval is the natural strategic owner of Desmet, given their technological expertise and compatible culture.”