A Beacon of Sustainability in Plungė: Vičiūnai Group’s €100 Million Salmon Factory Sets New Standards
Vičiūnai Group is taking a significant step toward sustainability with the launch of a €100 million salmon processing complex in Plungė, enabling the production of high-nutritional-value products with a reduced ecological footprint. This investment—the largest in the Group’s history—marks a major leap toward responsible manufacturing. The goal is to nearly triple production and become one of the five largest salmon processors in Europe, while setting new industry standards for sustainable operations. The Group already ranks among the top 35% of companies evaluated by the EcoVadis platform and aims to achieve climate-neutral operations by 2050.
“The sustainability strategy for the new factory is built on ambitious, long-term goals that address the most pressing environmental challenges. We recognize climate change as a critical issue that requires collective action,” says Dainius Matijošaitis, Board Member of Vičiūnai Group. “To achieve climate neutrality, UAB Vičiūnai ir partneriai aims to reduce emissions by 90–95%, contributing significantly to a sustainable future.”
Leadership in Sustainability and Certifications
Vičiūnai Group’s commitment to sustainability is demonstrated by its international certifications. UAB Vičiūnai ir partneriai has implemented the requirements of the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) supply chain standards in its production and food safety systems. These standards give consumers the ability to choose sustainably sourced seafood. Additionally, for more than a decade, the company has produced organic products that meet strict EU regulations, with compliance verified annually by accredited certification bodies.
The Group’s commitment to quality and sustainability is further evidenced by the fact that its entire supply chain—from production to delivery—was the first in the Baltic region to be certified according to Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI)-recognized standards: IFS Food, IFS Broker, and IFS Logistics.
“The new factory will actively contribute to the implementation of the EU Sustainable Food Initiative by committing to continuous innovation and transparent reporting on our progress,” notes Artūras Rudgalvis, Director of the new plant. “Even during construction, we are striving to achieve the highest sustainability standards, and globally recognized ESG certifications help define real goals and expectations.”
The factory building is being certified according to the BREEAM International New Construction standard with the aim of achieving the highest rating—“Excellent.” This globally recognized standard evaluates a wide spectrum of sustainability categories, including energy and water use, air quality, pollution control, transport impact, material sourcing, waste management, ecology, and design and construction processes.
Environmental Innovations in Action
The new Vičiūnai Group factory incorporates advanced environmental technologies to minimize its ecological footprint across all operational areas. For example, all building heating needs will be met using a sophisticated heat recovery and reuse system with a condensation capacity of 8,160 kW.
The production site will completely eliminate natural gas for technological steam generation. Instead, it will use innovative high-temperature heat pumps powered by electricity, creating a closed energy cycle that significantly reduces CO₂ emissions, preserves natural resources, and maximizes energy efficiency.
“To further optimize energy use and improve the working environment, a centralized vacuum system for packaging machines will be installed,” explains Evaldas Skierus, Technical Director of the new plant. “This system removes oxygen from packaging, extending product shelf life, while also reducing noise levels and preventing heat emission into production areas—cutting cooling energy demand.”
The plant’s roof and façade will feature a large solar power installation with a total capacity of up to 2.5 MW. To improve efficiency, the roof will be covered with white PVC material, increasing solar panel performance by around 30%.
Cooling needs for food storage will be met using eco-friendly refrigeration systems based on natural refrigerants such as ammonia and carbon dioxide, both of which have no impact on the ozone layer and do not contribute to the greenhouse effect. Their excellent thermodynamic properties ensure high energy efficiency.
Vičiūnai Group will also introduce additional measures to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including industrial symbiosis solutions—transferring excess heat from ammonia compressors to a neighboring facility, returning unused renewable electricity to the grid, and redirecting by-products for biogas or bio-compost production.
Advanced Waste and Resource Management
A crucial component of real sustainability progress is advanced waste management and resource efficiency. The new facility will integrate a Taifun vacuum transport system for fish by-products, efficiently transferring them from processing areas to collection zones. This reduces internal logistics needs and improves hygiene standards.
The company also aims to reduce the percentage of salmon by-products by improving product yield through new equipment, robotic systems, and advanced technologies.
“The company already actively encourages waste sorting by organizing internal training and awareness campaigns on sustainable waste management. Additionally, administrative processes are being digitalized to reduce paper usage—document management, internal communication, and reporting are increasingly carried out digitally,” says Alma Čirvinskienė, Head of Accounting.
The production complex will also emphasize process digitalization, eliminating paper documents, while robotic packaging solutions will help reduce cardboard consumption.
Sustainable Logistics and Transportation
“A significant part of our sustainability investments lies in logistics transformation,” says Justas Teišerskis, Logistics Manager of the new plant. “From dedicated shuttle buses for employees—reducing CO₂ emissions from individual travel—to the advanced Equinox warehouse management system, which will optimize raw material and finished goods inventory, minimizing losses from unused or unsold products. These solutions will help create efficient picking routes, reducing order preparation time and the number of required transport movements.”
All warehouse handling equipment will run on lithium-ion batteries, which offer 80–90% higher energy efficiency and significantly longer service life than traditional lead-acid batteries.
The Tavil packaging and palletizing system will automate the stacking of products on tall (up to 2.1 m) pallets without requiring physical human labor. This will improve cold-storage space utilization and reduce transport frequency by optimizing truck trailer volume. “Tavil’s cardboard-reduction solution will help cut raw material usage in packaging processes, contributing to natural resource conservation,” adds Technology Division Head Andrius Dombrauskas.
“These technological solutions represent only a fraction of our efforts toward sustainability leadership,” emphasizes Artūras Rudgalvis. “The number of ideas implemented—submitted by both our specialists and project teams—reaches into the hundreds, demonstrating our commitment to not merely showcasing sustainability but fundamentally achieving deep, comprehensive progress.”
A Comprehensive Approach to Progress and Investment in People
The €100 million investment in the new salmon processing factory in Plungė will position Vičiūnai Group among the top five salmon processors in Europe and create around 900 new jobs, more than 30% of which will be for highly qualified specialists. The company invests in employee development, collaborates with universities, and is building a competence center.
“Vičiūnai Group is committed to using advanced technologies that enhance employee well-being,” notes Dainius Matijošaitis. “The factory has been designed with a strong focus on reducing physical workload, increasing safety, and creating an ergonomic work environment. We firmly believe that people are our strength, and their emotional and physical safety is of utmost importance.”
This factory will become not only the most modern fish processing complex in its sector but also a lighthouse of sustainability—a model of best practices for responsible industry.