CHINA – GEA Group, the Dutch multinational equipment and process technology provider has secured the deal to build a new infant formula plant in China for Junlebao Dairy.
GEA will be responsible for the plant design, project execution, installation, commissioning, and automation, with the facility set to be completed by the second quarter of 2020.
The firm, which also handles milk processes and instant coffee lines, secured a contract in September 2018 to supply the country’s largest spray dryer for the manufacture of infant milk formula (IMF).
The facility is said to be the largest infant formula plant in the country with planned production capacity of 6 tons/hour.
The new plant, which is being built adjacent to the one completed in 2016, is a turnkey project for GEA, which includes supplying wet mixing, evaporation, drying and downstream powder handling.
GEA will also install GEA MSD®-1600 multi-stage spray dryer, combining spray and fluid-bed drying in a three-stage drying process.
“We’ve worked very closely with Junlebao for years and it has been a real pleasure to see the success the plant we built for the company two years ago has had,” said Leon Han, Head of Dairy Sales – Greater China at GEA.
“The new plant will be the largest of its kind in China and we are delighted to be working with Junlebao again on this exciting project.”
With the project, Junlebao, said to be the fourth largest dairy processing company in China will be able to produce formula powder products in line with customer needs and requirements.
Founded in 1995, the company produces yogurt, lactobacillus beverages and UHT milk and entered the infant formula milk powder market in 2017.
In 2016, GEA provided production line technology and plant for infant formula milk powder for the Junlebao factory located in Junyuan.
“During the building of the 2016 plant we developed a very strong working relationship with GEA here in China.
For this reason, GEA was the chosen partner for the new plant and we’re confident the project will be a success,” said a Junlebao Dairy spokesperson.
Last year, the company partnered with dairy company Almarai to build new dairy facility in Saudi Arabia.
