Volare selects Sweco as its facility’s pre-engineering partner
In early 2023, Volare announced its plans to build an industrial-scale facility in Järvenpää, Finland. The unique factory will produce circular protein and oil for the pet food and fish feed industries, among others. Volare chose Sweco as the facility’s pre-engineering partner to ensure that the facility itself will also have a minimal impact on the environment.
Sweco is Europe's leading engineering and architecture consultancy co-creating sustainable solutions. As Volare’s founders designed their technology to consume as little energy as possible, the company wanted this design philosophy to be reflected in the entire facility, from its design to operations. Sweco’s experience and local knowledge, combined with their expertise in the circular economy, made them an ideal partner for Volare.
“We selected Sweco as our partner, because we were convinced of their thorough focus on circular and sustainable building projects, expertise in demanding design projects and understanding of the local and international building requirements”, says Volare’s CEO Tuure Parviainen.
The pre-engineering of the plant includes Sweco's process and warehouse design. Also the commenting phase of Volare's concept design has employed a wide range of SWECO’s engineers and building service technology professionals.
Together with Sweco, Volare is aiming to find the best solutions that also follow the company’s principle of creating a sustainable economy. The materials being examined as potential building materials are low-carbon concrete, reinforced concrete structures and glulam column and beam frame. Volare’s aim is to minimize environmental impacts by focusing on energy efficiency. This includes exploring various techniques like recovering heat, recycling process water, using solar panels, geothermal energy, and utilizing excess heat generated by the process. In addition, the ground work and excavations optimize the mass balance and seek to minimize needs for transportation.
“We are looking forward to being part of this innovative and inspiring project that conveys our strategy and value proposition so well into practice. Industrial scale solutions like this are needed to boost the circular economy” ,says Sweco Finland´s Circular Economy Solutions Department Manager Leena Pirhonen.
After the pre-engineering process, where the partners collaborate, the final investment decision on Volare’s first commercial scale factory will be made.
Volare’s mission is to bring true circularity into food production, which the new facility supports with an annual 5,000 ton production capacity of insect-based protein and lipids. When operational, the new facility will make products that replace fish meal, soy and palm kernel oil – leading to a large positive impact on CO2 emission, water and land usage savings as well as preventing overfishing.
