Beneo to expand chicory root fibre production sites in Chile and Belgium

Beneo has announced a multi-million-euro investment to expand the capacity of its chicory root fibre production facilities in Chile and Belgium.

The first step will see over €30 million invested. Overall, the programme aims to deliver a significant boost to Beneo’s global prebiotic chicory root fibre production capacity.

The work at the sites in Pemuco, Chile, and Oreye, Belgium, will begin in 2022.

Christoph Boettger, a member of Beneo’s executive board, said: “Beneo’s chicory root fibres meet key consumer needs of today and we are convinced that they will continue to play a central role in healthy nutrition in the future. With increased capacity, Beneo continues to offer a secure supply to its customers and partners worldwide.”

He continued: “In summer 2022, a second refinery line in Pemuco will already increase the production capacity significantly…The recent investment decision will ensure that Beneo’s production capacity is further growing. On top of this capacity increase, CO₂ emissions are being reduced. This means that the production site in Pemuco will be carbon neutral in a few years. Additionally, the site in Oreye will have reduced the specific energy consumption per ton of product by more than 50% by 2030.”

The expansion project will also create job opportunities.