GEA to build Algerian mega-dairy with capacity of all of Ireland's milk

The Algerian government has mandated GEA to build the world’s largest integrated dairy facility in Algeria.

The project will include an integrated dairy farm and milk powder facility.

Construction is set to begin at the start of 2026, with first milk powder production scheduled to begin in late 2027, with a gradual scale-up of production volumes over subsequent years.

The project will meet about 50% of Algeria’s national milk powder needs and create 5,000 new job opportunities.

When the project is complete, the facility’s final capacity will amount to approximately 100,000 tonnes of milk powder per year.

GEA has been mandated to provide a comprehensive range of dairy farming and processing solutions, covering farming to processing and packaging of the final product. The order volume is set to be worth between €140m and €170m, according to GEA.

Largest order

A spokesperson for GEA said that the project is one of the largest single orders for the company to date. The facility will be the largest of its kind. It will be located 90 kilometres from the provincial capital of Adrar.

Algeria is currently the world’s third-largest importer of milk powder.

The Algerian government, via its national investment fund, has entered a strategic partnership with Baladna QPSC, Qatar’s largest locally owned food and dairy producer.

The newly formed company subsidiary is Baladna Algeria SPA. The purpose of the partnership is to finance and manage the construction of the project in Algeria’s Adrar province, according to GEA.

The contract was signed at a formal event in Algiers on 28 July with representatives from Baladna, the Algerian government and GEA.