FrieslandCampina will invest more than €90 million ($105.2 million) to expand whey protein production across three manufacturing sites in the Netherlands. Work on the upgrades at Bedum, Veghel, and Workum will start this year, with first equipment and processes coming online in 2027 and full operational capacity by 2028.
The spending will fund new and upgraded equipment, improved processing lines, and modernised systems including advanced filtration technologies, better water reuse, and more efficient manufacturing. The company plans to expand capacity for WPC80 and its Nutri Whey ProHeat microparticulated whey at Bedum and Workum, and to optimise the Veghel lactose factory using whey permeate.
Food manufacturers use these ingredients in high-protein drinks, bars, and yogurts. FrieslandCampina said the programme will help it respond to growing global demand for advanced protein solutions. Anne Peter Lindeboom, president of FrieslandCampina Ingredients, noted the investment follows recent capacity increases in Borculo and the acquisition of Wisconsin Whey Protein in the US last December.
The company expects no major employment impact, with any staffing changes absorbed largely through natural attrition. The upgrades will also cut Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions by around 16 kilotonnes of CO2e by phasing out older production lines and incorporating energy and water-efficient technologies.