Solar Foods Oyj, press release 30 March 2026 at 12:00 EEST
Solar Foods proceeds to the next design phase of Factory 02
Solar Foods is proceeding with the design of its first industrial-scale production facility, Factory 02. After initiating the pre-engineering of Factory 02 in early 2025, Solar Foods has now finalized the advanced concept design phase of the production facility. This enables the company to proceed to the final design phase before the investment decision.
In the advanced concept design phase, Solar Foods established an advanced conceptual design for Factory 02 across disciplines. For the execution of the advanced concept design phase, Solar Foods partnered with global design, engineering, and project management company Blue Projects. Blue Projects acted as an engineering service partner, helping translate Solar Foods' proprietary process technology into an integrated facility concept and executable facility design aligned with long-term operational objectives.
Finalizing the advanced concept design phase enables Solar Foods to move forward towards the next design phase of Factory 02, with the purpose of advancing the current project design. This will be the final design phase in the project before the final investment decision.
"Successfully finalizing the advanced concept design phase is a big milestone on the Factory 02 project, which enables us to proceed one step closer towards the final investment decision. We are building a globally completely unique production facility that will scale our production technology even further to industrial scale", says Tiia Kuusimäki, Chief Operating Officer of Solar Foods.
A unique production facility of industrial scale
Factory 02 will expand Solein's production capacity from Factory 01's 160 tons to 6.400 tons annually, and the construction is planned to be carried out in phases. The design capacity of the first phase is 3.2 kilotons per year, and it's expected to be operational at the end of 2028. The following year, the production plant is planned to be expanded in a second phase to a design capacity of 6.4 annual kilotons.
Solar Foods has decided to proceed with the engineering and implementation of Factory 02 with a network of strategic partners, which allows the company to focus more strongly on developing its core technology of gas fermentation and related biology, as well as on the global commercialisation of Solein. Solar Foods has signed an exclusivity agreement with GEA, one of the world's largest systems suppliers for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical sector, to negotiate a supply agreement for the supply, design, construction, and delivery of process equipment and services for Factory 02. Solar Foods and GEA have also undertaken to negotiate terms and conditions of a long-term strategic partnership agreement.
In addition to GEA, Solar Foods aims to select 2-3 strategic partners who would be responsible for, e.g., Factory 02's hydrogen production, electricity grids, and cooling and heating capacity. The company is also exploring real estate investment opportunities for Factory 02 and has appointed Vicus Capital Advisors as its advisor.
"The global food challenge and feeding billions requires fundamentally different ways of producing food, and the demand for alternative proteins is growing constantly. Gas fermentation technology changes the whole infrastructure of food production, offering a cost-efficient, easily scalable food production method with minimal environmental impact. Together with our partners, we are excited to be the first in the world to bring and scale this technology to the food industry", Kuusimäki says.
Additional information:
Tiia Kuusimäki, Chief Operational Officer, tiia.kuusimaki@solarfoods.com, tel. +358 10 579 3284
Images for editorial use: www.solarfoods.com/media
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What is Solein?
Solein is an all-purpose protein grown with the air we breathe: The unique bioprocess takes a single microbe, one of the billion different ones found in nature, and grows it by fermenting it using air and electricity. Solein is a nutritionally rich and versatile ingredient which can replace protein virtually in any food. Solein can also be used as a fortifier to complement the nutritional profile of various foods: it can be a source of iron, fibre and B vitamins, and it can also bring different techno-functionalities into food products. Learn more at www.solein.com.
About Solar Foods
Solar Foods produces Solein®, a protein created using carbon dioxide and electricity. This innovative production method is independent of weather and climate conditions, eliminating the need for traditional agriculture. Founded in Finland in 2017, Solar Foods is listed on the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. Learn more at solarfoods.com and investors.solarfoods.com
