GEA mandated to build dairy facility in Algeria

ALGERIA – GEA, a giant supplier of systems, has been mandated to construct a state-of-the-art integrated dairy farming and milk powder production facility in Algeria by Baladna.

The locally produced milk powder is planned to meet about 50% of Algeria’s national milk powder needs, representing a significant step towards self-sufficiency. Additionally, the project will create approximately 5,000 job opportunities for local talents.

The facility will be the largest of its kind, located about 90 kilometers from the provincial capital. Construction will commence at the beginning of 2026, with first milk powder production scheduled to start in late 2027.

Production volumes will be gradually expanded. When completed and fully supplied, this facility’s final capacity will amount to approximately 100,000 tons of milk powder per year.

Stefan Klebert, CEO of GEA, said, “We are proud that Baladna and the Algerian government are entrusting GEA to play a key part in this lighthouse project. Not only are we building the world’s largest facility of its kind – we are also helping to strengthen regional food security and economic development. This project showcases the attractiveness of our technologies and products, underpinned by our extensive capabilities for large-scale process and plant engineering.”

Leveraging its innovative portfolio of complementary engineering technologies, GEA will cover the entire value chain of milk powder production when constructing the facility – from dairy farming to processing and packaging of the final product.

The GEA divisions Farm Technologies (FT) and Liquid & Powder Technologies (LPT) are contractual partners with Baladna Algeria. For both of those, the project represents one of their single-largest orders ever received. Other GEA divisions will contribute technologies and products within that scope.

”This engagement with GEA marks a milestone in the acceleration of the project. We are proud to attract the most prominent national and international expertise and renowned companies from all over the world to contribute to the completion of the project, following the highest international standards,” Mohamed Moutaz Al-Khayyat, Chairman of Baladna, commented.

Additionally, GEA will provide a broad range of solutions from a single source to run the facility’s large milking parlors as well as its milk powder and anhydrous milk fat installations.

These include system solutions, such as separators, membrane filtration, heat treatment, as well as evaporation and spray drying plants.

Automated packaging and service components are part of the scope, too. GEA has a global track record in large-scale plant and process engineering, including dairy projects in India, China, Qatar or Ireland

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