The first buildings will be completed this summer
Most of the buildings of SIA “ASNS Ingredient” pea protein factory are expected to be finished by the end of this summer.
The land works have been completed, and now the construction of building foundations is already underway, says Edgars Ruža, Member of the Board at SIA “ASNS Ingredient.” “In the coming weeks, we plan to begin construction of the buildings. The first one – a finished goods warehouse – is expected to be completed by May. The remaining facilities within the factory complex will be designated for production processes and are anticipated to be ready by the end of summer. During this period, we also expect to receive the ordered equipment, most of which will come from Europe, while some have been sourced also from the United States. Assembly work at the factory is set to begin in late summer and will continue until the fall of 2026, after that we will start to test the equipment,” explains E.Ruža.
Aivars Kronbergs, Chairman of the Board of SIA “BUKOTEKS,” the general contractor, points out that construction work began within a week after the contract signing. “Right after Christmas, we mobilized and started working on the construction site. Currently, we have started the construction of external networks, drilling piles and concreting the foundations, as well as the construction of the retaining wall. Meanwhile, work continues also on the development of production drawings of the supporting structures,” says A.Kronbergs.
E.Ruža believes that SIA “ASNS Ingredient” pea protein plant will help develop the meat and dairy alternatives industry in Latvia. “The new plant is the first step in creating a plant-based protein sector, but in the long term, we want to see the development of a new ecosystem in Latvia alongside our business. We hope that startups with their own ideas and products will enter this sector, and possibly, we could attract some global players who might develop their manufacturing plants in Latvia. We see ourselves in this system as just a small molecule that will set the whole process in motion,” says E. Ruža, noting that it took six years from the initial idea of the pea protein plant to the start of construction.
“The technologies used in the factory are very complex, so their development and engineering took a long period of time. It also required time to attract investors. This project is financially demanding, with total capital investment exceeding 100 million euros. One of the major financiers of the project is Rietumu Bank, with which SIA “ASNS Ingredient” signed a loan agreement in February of this year,” notes E.Ruža.
The new factory will process 70,000 tonnes of peas per year and produce pea protein isolate, starch, protein concentrate and fiber. Peas, which will be the basic raw material used in production, are planned to be purchased from Latvian farmers, and the produced products are planned to be exported all over the world. The pea protein factory, with an investment of 150 million euros, will be the most modern and the second-largest pea protein production facility in the world.
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