From renewable energy breakthroughs to cutting-edge process optimization, LDC is working toward more sustainable and efficient industrial operations, with recent progress in three critical areas: clean energy, efficiency and ‘Industry 4.0’.
Powering a More Sustainable Future
Transitioning to clean energy is essential for both efficient and sustainable industry, and a key lever toward LDC’s goal to reduce Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 33.6% by 2030, compared to a 2022 baseline.
In 2025, we accelerated moves toward renewable, lower-carbon energy sources across our global operations.
- Solar Power: At our coffee mill facility in Perote, Mexico, a photovoltaic park supplies 75% of electricity used by the site, reducing its reliance on the grid and cutting emissions by 15%. Similar solar rooftop solutions were implemented at our Pleiku coffee mill in Vietnam and our Kampala coffee warehouse and mill in Uganda, reducing local Scope 2 emissions.
- Heat Pumps: We installed advanced heat pumps at our facilities in Wittenberg, Germany; Tianjin, China; and Merco, Paraguay. These recover waste heat from industrial processes and reuse it, decreasing steam consumption, improving energy efficiency and cutting carbon emissions.
- Biogas & Circular Solutions: At our Bebedouro juice plant in Brazil, we are building a biogas plant that will convert citrus processing waste into renewable energy. Based on the circular economy model, the new biogas facility will reduce the plant’s CO2 emissions by more than 20% and return 100% of treated water to natural water sources.
Why it matters: Clean energy initiatives help combat climate change and future-proof our operations om relation to both energy price volatility and evolving regulatory requirements.
Drive for Efficiency
Efficiency is at the heart of sustainable industry. In 2025, LDC advanced industrial efficiency through process optimization and technology upgrades.
- Resource Optimization: At our Timbúes site in Argentina, we introduced enzymatic de-oiling (EDO) technology to improve oil recovery by breaking down gums and releasing trapped oil, boosting overall yield. Additionally, our General Lagos agro-industrial complex in the country approved a hot dehulling process upgrade to enhance soybean meal quality by reducing hull content and minimizing drying needs.
- Advancing Automation: In 2025, we implemented new safety programmable logic controllers (PLCs) at 10 industrial facilities, providing an additional layer of protection in that these are designed to prevent machine and equipment failures or, if they are unavoidable, to ensure failures are safe and predictable.
- Process Improvements: Through continuous improvement programs across our facilities, our teams identified and eliminated inefficiencies, reduced waste and improved production quality, supported by automation and digital controls that minimize human error and maximize consistency.
Why it matters: Greater efficiency means less waste, lower emissions and greater reliability in our operations.
Industry 4.0 Through Digital Transformation
Recognizing the potential of digital transformation to change how we operate, LDC is investing in new technologies to make our operations smarter and more connected.
- Connected Assets: By linking equipment and processes through industrial Internet of Things (IoT) platforms like Siemens Insights Hub, we’re enabling real-time data collection and analyses, and ultimately faster, more informed decision-making.
- Predictive Maintenance: At our General Lagos and Timbúes plants in Argentina, combining AI-driven insights such as Siemens’ Senseye with operator expertise has allowed us to anticipate and prevent machine failures, reducing downtime and optimizing resources.
- Remote Monitoring & Automation: Our Remote Operations and Monitoring Center, which oversees hundreds of LDC assets worldwide from Santa Fe (Argentina), increased its scope in 2025 to cover additional sites. The center now also uses AI-powered video analytics to enhance safety, security and operational efficiency – from monitoring perimeter security to fire and smoke detection, pedestrian crossings, crowd density and smartphone usage.
Why it matters: Industry 4.0 empowers us to be more responsive, resilient and sustainable, by turning data into actionable insights and driving continuous improvement at every level.
Looking Ahead
In 2026 and beyond, we will continue our roadmap to expand use of renewable energy, optimize resources and advance digital transformation. Our teams are embracing innovative technologies and driving process improvements toward increasingly safe, efficient and sustainable operations, with a goal to create long-term value for our business, partners and communities.
More updates on our recent progress toward smarter industrial operations are outlined in LDC’s 2025 Integrated Report.
