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By Alessia Proietti

More than Protein Ingredients

Bowden may become home to Alberta’s first yellow pea fractionation facility

Jun 2, 2022 | 3:57 PM

The Town of Bowden may soon be part of a growing trend in the meat alternatives industry by potentially becoming the home to Alberta’s first yellow pea fractionation facility.

More than Protein Ingredients (MTP) is setting up an estimated $160 million facility to process yellow peas and other pulse crops into nearly 20,000 tonnes of pea and other plant-based proteins annually. These proteins will then be sold to other companies to produce plant-based alternatives for meat, milk, seafood and eggs among other products like feed.

According to a study by Kearney, 25 per cent of the global meat supply will come from plant-based meat by 2040. As well, Plant Based Food Association says that 79 per cent of millennials already eat plant-based products for various reasons such as environmental, animal welfare, and more.

“It’s a complement to the beef and meat industry over all. There’s a lot of inflationary pressures on the meat industry,” said More than Protein Ingredients CEO Kevin McGeough.

The company broke ground on Oct. 7, 2021 and is close to completing the developmental permit phase, with construction expected to begin near July 2022.

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McGeough says the fractionation facility will be unique as it will manufacture the “next generation of protein”, changing its functionality by altering it to emulsify more easily.

He also says they will do more than separate the proteins, starch, fibre and feedstock molasses from the peas.

“We’re aiming to improve the flavor profiles and the sensory experience of the protein so consumers will have better tasting products without having to add a lot of additives and salt into the product,” he said.

There are two types of fractionation. Wet fractionation requires a series of steps, with the peas being dispensed in water to separate the proteins from starches and other minerals. The final step is to dry the isolated protein.

Dry fractionation mills peas into flour, separating it from the starch granules. While utilizing less water, it results in a protein with less purity.

While mainly focused on wet fractionation, McGeough says the company intends to eventually have a dry line as well.

More than Protein’s first dry with fractionated yellow pea protein concentrate samples. (From left to right): Chaitanya Nagabathula, Quality Control & Jr. Engineer; Greg Skotheim, Chief Administration Officer; Town of Bowden Mayor Robb Stuart; Chris Chivilo, Chief Operating Office (Supplied)

The Chief Operating Officer for MTP is Chris Chivilo, founder of the former W.A. Grains and Pulse Solutions, a processor and exporter of special grains. The company went into receivership in April 2021 for financially owing grain farmers and ultimately closed. McGeough states MTP was founded by five partners but Chivilo was not one of them.

McGeough says, while he has no connection to W.A. Grain & Pulse Solutions, he can imagine the pandemic had a large strain on the company in its exports with supply chain issues, rising shipping costs, and other global challenges.

He says that after building strong relationships with farmers early-on, MTP avoids these hurdles, having the advantage of solely purchasing grains within the local area, shortening the supply chain and related transportation costs.

The goal, he says, is to make the industry self-sufficient in Canada from the farm to the final protein.

“It definitely builds a local supply chain which doesn’t exist in Alberta for plant-based protein,” he said.

According to Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, 75 percent of Canadian yellow pea exports are sent to China where they fracture the starch for the vermicelli noodle market. They then resell protein back to other countries, including Canada.

McGeough says approximately 50,000 acres of land will be needed to grow yellow peas for his facility’s production.

In July 2021, Alberta accounted for 37 per cent of dry pea seeded area in Canada behind Saskatchewan at 55 per cent.

McGeough expects the facility to employ between 60-80 people once operational, among other jobs during construction, and states the news has already been attracting related agricultural businesses to potentially come to the area.

Mayor of Bowden Robb Stuart, says the town and its surrounding area are suitable for the industry due to its expanse of farmland, support by Red Deer County for permits, and proximity to train tracks and Highways 2 and 2A.

He says he hopes the facility will bring new residents and development to the town.

“If this plant goes ahead, then there will be some jobs available locally and they would be looking at technical people for some lab techs and some electrical engineers and some power engineers. Hopefully that will keep some of our students in the local community,” he said.

The company says they have new foreign investors and continue to look for Canadian. Protein Industries Canada, a non-profit organization for plant protein and plant-based products, also invested $5.7 million in March 2022.

Construction is expected to be complete by mid-2023, with the entire project operational by 2025.