Bel group invests US$1.74M to expand Ulzama facility, inaugurates biomass boiler 

SPAIN – Bel Group has announced a new €1.5 million investment to expand the Ulzama site with a 600 m² building housing two additional packaging lines.

This expansion will increase production capacity by 15% to reach nearly 7,000 tons of the Laughing Cow® per year (around 500 million portions) and will support local employment. Construction is already underway, and the new lines are expected to be operational in the first half of 2026.

These investments in Spain reflects Bel’s commitment to building strong and long-term footprint to accelerate growth, adapt to the Spanish local market needs, and deliver on its mission to champion healthier and responsible food for all.

Additionally, the company inaugurated a biomass boiler at the plant. The new biomass boiler marks an important milestone in Bel’s decarbonization strategy.

Developed by BKTECH and powered by biomass pellets supplied locally by Naparpellet, the installation replaces fossil fuels with locally sourced renewable energy.

With a 700-kW power and a stationary efficiency rate above 90%, the system will cover 100% of the plant’s steam needs, cutting its total carbon footprint of 500 tons of CO₂ per year.

This project represents an investment of €700,000 and allows the factory to operate entirely on renewable energy sources, including certified green electricity and on-site photovoltaic panels.

This inauguration marks Ulzama as Bel’s second international site with a biomass system after Tangier, Morocco, and the fifth worldwide. It also hosts the Group’s first pellet-based boiler, a true proof of concept that strengthens Bel’s technical capabilities to deliver on its SBTi 1.5 °C commitments.

Stéphane Dupays, Chief Operations Officer of Bel Group, stated: “These two projects illustrate Bel’s two-leg model, where sustainability and profitability advance together. The Ulzama site is now powered by renewable energy and is expanding to support future growth.

“It’s a perfect example of how our sustainability commitments go hand in hand with industrial performance and local development. Ulzama is a model we aim to replicate across other countries.”

This project reflects Bel’s strategy to reduce its environmental footprint, aligning with 1,5°C scenario and contributing to factories’ carbon neutrality by 2025. Several other initiatives are already underway, including two pellet biomass projects in France.

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