Swedish agri-business Lantmännen has major investment plans of around 100 million euros for the construction of a new plant protein factory in Lidköping. This plant will be the largest of its kind in Sweden for processing peas and field beans into protein isolates.
The plant will process around 35,000 tonnes of peas and 5,000 tonnes of field beans annually, for the production of around 7,000 tonnes of concentrated protein. These proteins are widely used in vegetarian and vegan products, such as meat substitutes, but also in sports drinks, gluten-free pasta and bakery products.
This project fits within Lantmännen’s broader strategy to strengthen Swedish agriculture and reduce dependency on imported soy by focusing on locally produced proteins. Furthermore, the company expects that the investment will increase Swedish pea production by 50%, from 80,000 to 120,000 tonnes per year.
In addition to expanding its protein production, Lantmännen has also completed its acquisition of Entrack, a Swedish supplier of machinery and components for the agricultural and construction industries. With this acquisition, the company aims to further strengthen its position in the Swedish and Scandinavian agricultural machinery market.
Lantmännen is one of the largest Scandinavian agricultural cooperatives, specializing in agriculture, machinery, bioenergy and food products. It is owned by 18,000 Swedish farmers, has 12,000 employees, is active in more than 20 countries and had a turnover of approximately 7 billion euros last year.