v3.25.1
Investment in Unconsolidated Subsidiary
3 Months Ended
Mar. 29, 2025
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]  
Investment in Unconsolidated Subsidiary Investment in Unconsolidated Subsidiaries
On January 21, 2011, a wholly owned subsidiary of Darling entered into a limited liability company agreement with a wholly-owned subsidiary of Valero Energy Corporation (“Valero”) to form Diamond Green Diesel Holdings LLC (“DGD” or the “DGD Joint Venture”). The DGD Joint Venture is owned 50% / 50% with Valero.

Selected financial information for the Company’s DGD Joint Venture is as follows:

(in thousands)March 31, 2025December 31, 2024
Assets:
Cash$152,440 $353,446 
Total other current assets1,038,381 1,137,821 
Property, plant and equipment, net3,847,613 3,868,943 
Other assets115,915 100,307 
Total assets$5,154,349 $5,460,517 
Liabilities and members' equity:
Revolver$— $— 
Total other current portion of long term debt30,150 29,809 
Total other current liabilities336,404 319,688 
Total long term debt699,491 707,158 
Total other long term liabilities17,095 17,195 
Total members' equity4,071,209 4,386,667 
Total liabilities and members' equity$5,154,349 $5,460,517 
Three Months Ended
(in thousands)March 31, 2025March 31, 2024
Revenues:
Operating revenues$899,909 $1,411,115 
Expenses:
Total costs and expenses less lower of cost or market inventory valuation adjustment and depreciation, amortization and accretion expense977,106 1,159,356 
Lower of cost or market (LCM) inventory valuation adjustment(91,004)21,638 
Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense
67,472 65,290 
Total costs and expenses953,574 1,246,284 
Operating income/(loss)(53,665)164,831 
Other income3,702 3,220 
Interest and debt expense, net(9,306)(11,242)
Income/(loss) before income tax expense(59,269)156,809 
Income tax expense/(benefit)39 (29)
Net income/(loss)$(59,308)$156,838 

As of March 29, 2025, under the equity method of accounting, the Company has an investment in the DGD Joint Venture of approximately $2,038.1 million on the consolidated balance sheet. The Company has recorded equity in net income/(loss) from the DGD Joint Venture of approximately $(30.5) million and $78.4 million for the three months ended March 29, 2025 and March 30, 2024, respectively. On August 16, 2022, the U.S. government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act ( the “IR Act”). As part of the IR Act, the blenders tax credits of $1.00 per gallon were extended as is until December 31, 2024, a new Sustainable Aviation Fuel (“SAF”) blenders tax credit was introduced effective for 2023 and 2024, and a new Clean Fuels Production Credit (the “CFPC”) was created effective from 2025 through 2027. Under the IR Act, Section 40B, SAF, blended with Jet A and sold on or before December 31, 2024, receives a base credit of $1.25 per gallon plus $0.01 for each percentage point by which the lifecycle greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions reduction percentage exceeds 50% up to a maximum supplementary amount of $0.50. Under the CFPC, on-road transportation fuel receives a base credit of up to $1.00 per gallon of renewable diesel (adjusted for inflation each calendar year) multiplied by the fuel's emission reduction percentage as long as it is produced at a qualifying facility and it meets prevailing wage requirements and apprenticeship requirements. Similarly, SAF produced at a qualified facility that meets the apprenticeship and prevailing wage requirements receives a base credit of $1.75 (adjusted for inflation each calendar year) multiplied by the GHG emissions factor for SAF. In contrast to the blenders tax credit, the CFPC requires that production must take place in the United States. For the three months ended March 29, 2025 and March 30, 2024, the DGD Joint Venture recorded approximately $50.9 million and $331.1 million of production tax credits and blenders tax credits, respectively. The production tax credit and blenders tax credits are recorded as a reduction of cost of sales by the DGD Joint Venture. In the three months ended March 29, 2025 and March 30, 2024, respectively, the Company made approximately $0.2 million and $90.0 million in capital contributions to the DGD Joint Venture. In the three months ended March 29, 2025 and March 30, 2024, the Company received approximately $129.5 million and zero in dividend distributions from the DGD Joint Venture, respectively.

In addition to the DGD Joint Venture, the Company has investments in other unconsolidated subsidiaries that are insignificant to the Company.