Alfa Laval has begun the process of fully integrating Desmet, with completion expected by July 2027, Hydrocarbon Processing Biofuels reported. The move will bring together engineering capabilities serving the oils, fats and biofuel industries, combining Desmet’s upstream expertise with Alfa Laval’s processing technologies within a single organisation.
Alfa Laval bought Desmet in 2022 in a transaction that also included the RoseDowns and Stolz operating units and brands. Desmet has continued to function separately since the acquisition. The planned integration is intended to broaden the combined business’s technology offering across the production chain, covering oilseed processing through to finished products, according to the report.
The technical combination will link Desmet’s extraction and upstream processing knowledge with Alfa Laval’s equipment and expertise in separation, heat transfer and downstream operations. The companies expect a more unified engineering offering to make project delivery simpler and reduce complexity for customers. Their combined sales, service and project execution network will include local teams across more than 150 countries, the outlet reported.
Sammy Hulpiau, president of Alfa Laval’s Food & Pharma Division, said the integration was intended to provide customers with more coordinated solutions and speed up innovation. He also emphasised retaining Desmet’s specialist knowledge and established customer relationships. Those objectives form part of the company’s rationale for the integration, rather than reported results from the changes.
The transition will proceed in stages to maintain continuity for customers and partners, including work on existing proposals and projects. Desmet will sit within the Process Engineering Solutions business unit in Alfa Laval’s Food & Pharma Division. That unit combines the former Food Systems and Desmet business units, with a remit spanning oilseeds, oils and fats, brewing, beverages and proteins.