Glanbia Ireland opens new milk protein plant

Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and Arlene Foster, NI Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, officially opened Glanbia Ingredients Ireland’s newly-built milk protein facility on the existing GII site in Virginia, County Cavan. This expansion of the Virginia facility, which processes milk from surrounding counties, and employs 100 people, is designed to meet the standards of the clinical and lifestyle nutrition market, a business growing worldwide, which is predicted to expand by double digits over the next ten years, the company says
GII is currently investing €200 million in value adding facilities with support from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland. This investment programme will facilitate farmers and customers in expanding their businesses, particularly as the elimination of quotas in 2015 offers an opportunity to expand production for the first time in 30 years. Over €7.8 million has been invested in the Virginia plant to build the new milk protein unit, which will more than double current milk protein capacity from 4,000 to 10,000 tonnes. The site will also continue its extensive production of enriched milk powders for export markets as well as exclusive cream supply to the global Baileys brand.

GII first launched its range of advanced milk protein powders under the Solmiko brand in 2008. These industries are worth €16 billion and are currently growing at greater than 6% per annum. The new SolmikoHD and SolagoHD variants have higher bulk density and good dispersibility making them easily incorporated into customer formulations using existing processing equipment.

The new facility in Virginia reinforces GII’s credentials on sustainability and conservation, and uses additional membrane technology that polishes and removes all remaining solids from the water extracted from the process, making it re-usable so no additional water is required for the new plant.

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