"Biovela Group invests

"Biovela Group invests in renewable energy - the most powerful industrial solar power plant in the Baltics

"Biovela Group invests almost EUR 1.4 million in a renewable energy project - a 1.7 megawatt solar power plant is being built on the roofs of the production buildings of Utenos mėsa, a company owned by the Group. It will be the most powerful and largest power plant of its kind in the Baltics. The new plant will be operational in spring 2019.

"Audrius Kantauskas, CEO of Biovela Group, says that the Group is gradually working to increase the number of environmental initiatives in recognition of the global climate change challenges. This, he says, was one of the main reasons behind the new investment in renewable energy sources.

"As the market leader in meat processing in the Baltics, we consume a lot of energy in our operations. Therefore, the decision to invest in the construction of a solar power plant was driven by economic considerations in addition to environmental goals. This project will allow us to reduce our standard energy consumption by around 20 percent. We will also replace more than 2,000 daylight lamps in the factory with efficient LED lighting with motion sensors," says Mr Kantauskas.

The installation of the most powerful and largest industrial solar power plant in the Baltic States in Utena will be carried out in two phases.

PHASE I

BIOVELA-UTENOS MĖSA, UAB project "Development of energy efficiency and renewable energy production and use in UTENOS MĖSA, UAB"

BIOVELA-UTENOS MĖSA, UAB implements the project "Promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy production and use in UTENOS MĖSA, UAB" project No 04.2.1-LVPA-K-836-01-0031.

The project aims to install a 900 kW solar power plant. The electricity generated will be used to meet the company's production needs.

The project is financed up to 60% of the project's implementation by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), amounting to EUR 364 769.

STAGE II

BIOVELA-UTENOS MĖSA, UAB project "Development of energy efficiency and renewable energy production and use in UTENOS MĖSA, UAB"

BIOVELA-UTENOS MĖSA, UAB implements the project "Development of energy efficiency and use of renewable energy resources in UTENOS MĖSA, UAB" project No 04.2.1-LVPA-K-836-03-0012.

The project aims to install an 800 kW solar power plant. The electricity generated will be used to meet the company's production needs.

The project is financed up to 60% of the project's implementation, €292,680, by the European Regional Development Fund.

Biovela Group has been generating electricity for its own use since 2007.A gas-fired cogeneration plant with a similar capacity of 1.6 megawatts, which produces heat and electricity, is also operating on the territory of Utenos mėsa. In spring 2019, after the completion of the solar power plant, the new plant and the CHP plant will generate more than 60% of the company's total electricity demand.

"We still have vacant and undeveloped rooftops in the production area, so we will certainly not stop with this project. We will continue to look for modern energy solutions that will not only increase the efficiency of our operations, but will also be environmentally friendly," says Biovela Group's CEO.

UAB Biovela Group is the largest and most modern meat processing group in Lithuania and one of the largest meat product manufacturers in Central Europe. "Biovela Group consists of three companies: UAB Biovela, UAB Utenos mėsa, UAB Maisto priemyslu logistikos grupė. The Group currently employs more than 1300 people.

STAGE III

BIOVELA-UTENOS MĖSA, UAB project "Development of energy efficiency and renewable energy production and use"

BIOVELA-UTENOS MĖSA, UAB implements the project "Development of energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources" project No 04.2.1-LVPA-K-836-05-0008.

Project objective: to reduce the energy intensity of industrial enterprises by increasing the production and consumption of renewable energy sources.

The project will install a 1300 kW solar power plant on the roofs of the production buildings, a 1195 kW heat pump and 79 kW heat exchangers in the energy rooms. The energy generated by all of them will be used to meet the company's production needs. Taking into account and adding up the previous renewable energy projects already implemented, we will have a record 3MW solar power plant on the production buildings.

In recognition of the global challenge of climate change, we are gradually increasing the number of conservation initiatives. This is both an energy solution with a positive impact on reducing energy costs for the company, and a strategic solution contributing to the efficient use of raw materials and energy, the modernisation and development of the industry and the integration of green energy.