Sustainable chip factory in Poperinge

The factory will soon have an annual capacity of 175,000 tons of frozen French fries and 11,000 tons of potato flakes. Given the complexity and size of the new factory, Aviko deliberately chose to put the civil construction out to tender at an early stage. An interview with Cor Koole, project manager on behalf of Aviko and Pieter Vandenberghe, Director of Industry at Alheembouw.    

Aviko is one of Europe's largest producers of fresh, frozen, dried and specialty potato products. "The market for frozen potato products, mainly French fries, is experiencing considerable growth despite corona," Koole begins. "Especially in Central Europe, Northwest Europe and Asia, we see an increasing demand for our products. The planned capacity expansion will enable us to take full advantage of this fast-growing market and achieve our ambitious growth targets. Poperinge, in the south of Belgium, is a suitable location for several reasons. It is in the middle of an area where potatoes suitable for us are grown and also close to the ports in Zeebrugge, ideal for export. Also, the expansion offers about 120 challenging job opportunities to run this modern plant."

Greenfield

The new location is a so-called greenfield site. "There was nothing here yet," says Koole. "We purchased three plots here. The first plot will house receiving and sorting, a line for processing residues and the energy facilities. Potatoes are unloaded here from the trucks and inspected for quality. After unloading, they are washed, sorted and stored in bunkers for several days. Depending on production needs, we will merge grades or send single grades into the factory. That factory is located across the road on the second lot. Here the potatoes are peeled, polished and cut. In between, constant checks take place. Then the cut fries are dried and baked in a large baking oven. Then they go into the freezing tunnel for freezing in several steps. In a large packaging department, the fries are packed into bags and then transported to the cold store in boxes on pallets." The 40-meter high cold store has such capacity that it will soon also serve as a storage and distribution center for products from Aviko's other plants.

Potato Experience Center

Finally, the third plot will be set up as a parking lot for trucks that cannot load or unload directly at the load docks. Koole: "This is also where the water treatment plant will be built in which we will purify the used water, suitable for discharge into surface water. We are also building a large office complex adjacent to the factory, which includes a Potato Experience Center. It is a demonstration area where we can prepare and show our products. Through a glass wall there is also a beautiful view of the main production process. In this way we can minimize visits to the factory itself, which requires all kinds of additional hygiene requirements."

Well-known construction partner

The new factory will be built by construction contractor Alheembouw. "We are a well-known partner of Aviko and have already carried out many works at the existing factory in Proven, not far from Poperinge," says Vandenberghe. In industrial construction, Alheembouw is a well-established party. "We have built up a good reputation and also carry out many works at similar companies like Aviko. Nevertheless, the realization of the new factory is a project of considerable magnitude for us as well. Something like this doesn't come onto the market every day. It is quite special to build a completely new site from scratch (greenfield)." 

Alheembouw is responsible for the complete shell construction of the plant on the three plots, plus finishing. Construction of the equipment is the responsibility of Aviko, which is partly parallel to the construction work. 

Trinity

Aviko deliberately chose a trinity between client, architect and building contractor. "That construction works extremely well," Vandenberghe knows. "We benefit from each other's knowledge and experience, which makes it more pleasant and economical for everyone to build. For us, as I said, it is a very nice project with a great diversity of works. Our employees can also make full use of their expertise here. Many parts of the plant are prefabricated, apart from the water treatment plant. This is also a true feat. A water treatment plant is usually constructed with round tanks, but here the tanks are rectangular and cast in situ (3,000 m²), which is our core business. Everything must be perfectly watertight. Moreover, during the pouring phases, PE lining is poured in at several places. This serves as additional concrete protection given the aggressive environment in the water treatment plant. Already a very nice reference when it is going to be finished."

Sustainability Ambitions

Aviko aims to achieve growth in a sustainable and responsible manner with respect for people, society and the environment. "Sustainability has the utmost attention in the new factory," Koole states. "This is reflected, among other things, in combined power and heat generation, minimal loss of potato material through complete reuse of residues and water, solar panels on the roof and an energy-efficient cold store."

For 80%, a potato consists of water and thus contains relatively little dry matter. "This is also the reason why we are building the plant in the middle of a potato area, so that we drive on the road with as little water as possible. French fries, on the other hand, consist of about 65% of dry matter. So it is much more economically and environmentally efficient to drive fries by road than potatoes. A multitude of trucks are then needed compared to the final product."

Alheembouw began construction on site in October 2019. "The new plant will be delivered in phases," said Vandenberghe. By March 2022, everything will be up and running. Eventually, Aviko will be able to produce 175,000 tons of French fries per year. That means processing about 60 tons of potatoes per hour over the production line. Getting everything arranged on time and getting subcontractors on board is a challenge, but Alheembouw has been entrusted with that. "For us, the new plant is a very nice reference in the industry we initially grew out of," said Alheembouw.