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Finnish food company Apetit has agreed to sell the biosteam plant serving its Kantvik vegetable oil milling facility to energy solutions provider Adven, as the two companies expand their long-standing partnership through a new long-term energy supply agreement.

The transaction is expected to be completed at the beginning of 2027, after which Adven will assume responsibility for operating the Kirkkonummi-based plant and managing any future investments.

The biosteam plant, which was commissioned in 2021, supplies the steam energy required for Apetit's vegetable oil milling operations. Vegetable oil milling is the most energy-intensive stage of the production process, making a reliable and efficient steam supply critical to plant operations.

The agreement builds on an existing relationship between the two companies, with Adven having supplied energy to Apetit's Säkylä production site since 2022.

Juha Elo, SVP for Industrial Energy Solutions at Adven, said: "We have been supplying energy to Apetit's Säkylä plant since 2022, and we are pleased to deepen our partnership in Kantvik as well. Apetit plays a significant role in the Finnish food industry, and it is important to us to help strengthen domestic food production and Finland's self-sufficiency through sustainable and reliable energy solutions."

For Apetit, the divestment allows the company to sharpen its focus on its core food business while retaining access to long-term energy services.

Timo Huttunen, director of Apetit's Oilseed Products business, said: "We are pleased with the solution in which a competent operator focused on energy both acquires and takes responsibility for the biosteam plant of the oilseed milling plant. This enables us to focus our resources even more strongly on our core business."

The biomass-powered facility primarily uses domestic wood chips as fuel but is also capable of utilising agricultural side streams generated during production, including straw and seed screening fractions delivered with oilseed supplies. The approach supports resource efficiency while providing a renewable source of steam for the milling process.

The deal reflects a broader trend across the food manufacturing sector, with processors increasingly partnering with specialist energy providers to improve operational efficiency, reduce capital commitments and support decarbonisation goals without compromising production reliability.