Roquette plans new $400M Manitoba pea processing plant

Jan. 20, 2017 – Portage la Prairie, Man., has been selected as the home of Roquette’s new $400-million pea-protein manufacturing site.

The investment — which the company says is the world’s largest dedicated to pea-protein in the food, nutrition and health industry to date — will help expand Roquette’s production capacity and meet growing customer demand for plant-based proteins.

Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2017, with production to begin in 2019. About 150 people to be employed by the new plant.

“This new site is strategically located in Canada, the world’s largest producer of peas, with around 30 per cent of the total global production. Manitoba’s well-educated and professional workforce, strong logistic infrastructures and reliable, competitive and sustainable hydroelectric energy, make the province a very attractive environment for this new facility,” according to a statement from the French company.

“This investment confirms our commitment to the highly promising pea protein market,” said Jean-Marc Gilson, CEO. “This new site, together with our existing plant in France, confirms Roquette as the long-term leader in the plant protein specialties market worldwide, and it is a great example of how we are helping to meet customer and consumer expectations for innovative and sustainable plant-based solutions.”