GEA partners with Nadec to build new olive oil mill in Saudi Arabia

National Agricultural Development Company (Nadec) has hired GEA to build and supply the equipment for a new olive oil mill in Saudi Arabia.

The order marks the second phase of an ongoing project and will enlarge the existing olive oil plant located in the region of Al-Jouf.

GEA said the contract follows on from the successful completion of the first phase, as well as a collaboration with Nadec in the dairy products sector.

The construction, which will include all necessary industrial equipment to manage the olive oil plant successfully, will be led by GEA and will include the combined efforts of several Spanish machine manufacturers.

Rafael Cárdenas, head of the Center of Excellence for Olive Oil of GEA, said: “We were able to offer Nadec a differentiated and integrated solution from the hands of a single supplier.”

Alvaro Martinez, GEA regional head of Western Europe, Middle East and Africa, added: “The cooperative relationship between Nadec and GEA’s Olive Oil Center of Excellence began in 2014. This project is a very good example of GEA’s ability to deliver large projects anywhere in the world and provide high added value to customers since not only the equipment but also the knowledge of the process is key.”

Last July, Germany-headquartered GEA partnered with dairy company Almarai to build what the companies described as Saudi Arabia’s “largest and most modern dairy processing facility”.

Located in Al Kharj, the plant includes multiple production lines for a range of milk and yogurt products and has the capacity to process 2 million litres of milk a day.

Last month, GEA secured a contract to construct a new infant formula plant in China for Shijiazhuang Junlebao Dairy. A GEA spokesperson said the new facility “will be the largest of its kind in China”.