The American group Viserion expands its presence in the Port of Barcelona with a €200 million investment.

BarcelonaMacroproject at the Port of Barcelona. Plant-based protein is gaining more and more followers, and the industry is not lagging behind. The American group Viserion will invest more than 200 million euros to multiply the production of its factory in the city, dedicated to soybeans, a high-protein legume that is later used in products such as vegetarian burgers.

To increase capacity, the plant will double its surface area on the Álvarez de la Campa dock. It will grow to 90 billion square meters, in a space that will house production lines and warehouses, as well as offices and laboratories. Construction is about to begin and will continue until the end of 2027.

The agro-industrial group arrived in Barcelona at the end of 2023 through the purchase of the Catalan company Elian, founded a few years earlier, and the acquisition of the historic factory owned by the also American company Cargill in the port. The new investment expands the initial outlay it made to acquire the plant and adapt it, for approximately 100 million euros. "It is a multi-million-pound investment that demonstrates our ability to generate international trust," emphasized the president of the Port of Barcelona, ​​​​José Alberto Carbonell.

With the new commitment of Viserion, with a global turnover of 4 billion euros and in the growth phase, the plant will be able to reach an annual production of more than 100,000 tons and a turnover of 500 million euros. "This expansion consolidates our commitment to Barcelona as a strategic center of innovation," said the CEO and founder of Elian, Andrés Martín. The workforce is currently around 90, and the plan is to hire more.

The soybeans that arrive at the Elian factory are obtained from soybean crops. When ground, they are converted into flour and oil used in the food industry, both human and animal, as well as for biofuels. When the works are completed, the factory will begin producing concentrated and textured vegetable proteins, currently imported mainly from the United States, China, and South America.

According to Martín, the entire process will be carried out with green, hydrocarbon-free energy, also focusing on controlling costs so that vegetable alternatives can reach more consumers. Elian works with companies in Catalonia and Aragon, but the investment should be used to expand beyond Spain, into markets such as France, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The Barcelona plant is one of the few of its kind in Europe, with only two others in Serbia and the Netherlands.

Port reorganization

Elian's expansion has involved moving parts in a port, Barcelona, ​​that is packed to the brim. The factory expansion will be built on an adjacent plot of land owned by the Barcelona Free Trade Zone Consortium (CZFB). Until now, the BIT Terminal, through which 80% of the coffee consumed in Spain enters, was located. It will need to be moved to another port area, and the change will be used to modernize the logistics facilities. The freight forwarding company Landtrans will also be relocated.