VILNIUS, May 29 (LETA--BNS) - Baltic dairy producer Vilvi Group opened a new cheese factory in Bauska, Latvia, on Friday, a EUR 60 million facility expected to generate annual revenue of EUR 100 million to EUR 120 million.

Located on the site of the former Baltic Dairy Board processing plant, the factory will produce 18,000 tons of cheese per year at full capacity, with exports destined for more than 40 countries worldwide.

Vilvi Group CEO Gintaras Bertasius said the project marks a new stage of international expansion and allows for the integration of production chains between the group’s Lithuanian and Latvian units. According to Bertasius, by-products will be utilized across other group companies: whey will be dried in Taurage, while fats will be processed in Marijampole.

The new plant is fully automated, with primary equipment supplied by Tetra Pak, Sealed Air, GEA and other partners. A 1,000-kilowatt solar power plant has been installed on the roofs. The facility has already created more than 100 jobs, with most employees local residents of Bauska.

The total investment exceeds EUR 60 million, with about one-fifth provided by the Latvian government and EUR 43.6 million financed by Citadele Bank.