Volare Opens Finnish Factory Turning Food Industry Byproducts Into Protein

Volare Opens Finnish Factory Turning Food Industry Byproducts Into Protein

A new industrial facility in Finland is turning materials left over from food production into valuable protein and oil, highlighting how biotechnology could help make better use of resources already in the food system.

Finnish technology company Volare has completed its first industrial-scale factory, Volare 01, in Pori, Finland. The facility is designed to produce up to 5,000 metric tonnes of insect protein and 2,000 metric tonnes of insect oil annually.

Rather than relying entirely on conventional protein sources, Volare uses food industry side streams as feed for black soldier fly larvae. The insects transform these materials into ingredients that can be processed for use in animal feed, pet food and other industrial applications.

The opening marks an important step in the company's transition from demonstration-scale production to a larger manufacturing operation.

How Food Industry Byproducts Become Protein

Food processing generates materials that may have limited value for their original producers but can still contain nutrients. Depending on the material and applicable safety requirements, these side streams can become useful inputs for other industries.

Volare's process uses black soldier fly larvae to convert suitable food industry side streams into protein-rich meal and oil. The company then processes these outputs into ingredients for commercial applications.

The approach connects two needs: finding productive uses for suitable residual materials and developing additional sources of protein and oil.

According to Volare, its production system combines insect farming with an automated industrial process designed to operate at scale. The company also produces an organic fertiliser ingredient as part of its broader resource-recovery model.

Inside Volare 01

Located in Pori, the new factory covers approximately 10,000 square metres. It was developed inside a former newspaper printing facility, allowing the company to adapt an existing industrial building rather than construct an entirely new site.

Volare says the facility is designed to produce up to 5,000 tonnes of insect protein and 2,000 tonnes of insect oil each year. The company has described the project as a major increase in capacity compared with its demonstration operation.

The factory was completed within its reported €15 million capital expenditure budget. Volare has also said that a substantial share of its planned production capacity is already covered by customer agreements.

These agreements matter because a factory's capacity alone does not guarantee commercial success. Securing customers can help manufacturers plan production, build reliable supply relationships and support future investment.

Why Alternative Protein Matters

Demand for protein is creating pressure across agricultural supply chains. Traditional sources remain essential, but producing them can require land, energy, water and other resources.

Alternative ingredients could provide additional options for manufacturers, particularly in markets where protein quality, supply reliability and cost are important.

Volare's insect protein is intended primarily for applications such as aquaculture feed, pet food and poultry feed. Its insect oil may also serve selected feed and industrial uses.

The company is not simply collecting waste and selling it in another form. Its business depends on controlling the quality of incoming materials, managing insect production, processing the resulting ingredients and delivering products that meet customer requirements.

That makes industrial reliability and consistent product quality as important as the sustainability argument.

New Funding Supports the Next Stage

Alongside the factory opening, Volare raised €7.1 million through Springvest, with support from new and existing investors, including Maki.vc.

The funding is intended to support the company's production ramp-up and preparations for another industrial-scale facility.

Volare's longer-term approach is to locate factories closer to food manufacturers and available raw materials. If executed successfully, this could help reduce transport needs for incoming materials and make it easier to connect production with local customers.

The company is also exploring opportunities to reproduce its production model in additional markets.

The Challenges Behind Scaling Insect Protein

Although insect-based ingredients offer potential advantages, the industry still faces practical challenges.

Factories must maintain consistent production, meet feed-safety and regulatory requirements, and compete on cost with established ingredients. The quality and availability of suitable side streams can also vary between locations and suppliers.

Furthermore, environmental benefits depend on the full production system, including energy use, processing requirements, transport and the alternative uses of the materials being recovered.

Volare's new factory provides a larger platform for testing its commercial model under industrial conditions. Its longer-term success will depend on reliable operations, sustained customer demand and the economics of expanding into additional facilities.

A Broader Shift Toward Circular Manufacturing

Volare's expansion illustrates a wider effort to connect industries that traditionally operate separately. Materials left over from one production process can become inputs for another when technology, safety controls and commercial demand align.

For food manufacturers, this can create opportunities to extract more value from suitable side streams. For feed producers, it may introduce another source of protein and oil. For investors, it represents a developing market at the intersection of biotechnology, food production and circular manufacturing.

Volare 01 is a significant step in that direction. The next test will be whether the company can scale its production model while maintaining product quality, competitive costs and measurable resource-efficiency benefits.

About Volare

Volare is a Finnish technology company developing industrial processes that convert food industry side streams into insect protein, oil and fertiliser ingredients.

Official company website: https://volare.fi/

Editorial note: This article was independently written for Jimvio Media using publicly available company information. Production figures and environmental-performance statements attributed to Volare represent company-reported information.