The Board of Investments (BOI) said the P980-million Mega Prime Foods Inc.’s sardines manufacturing facility in Sto. Tomas, Batangas supports the government’s “overall direction” to host clean and sustainable manufacturing practices in the country.
According to the investment promotion agency, the project features a “state-of-the-art” semi-automated sardines canning manufacturing plant, with zero-waste fish meal facility, cold storage, and warehouse. It said the whole plant will operate using an “energy-efficient” power source to minimize carbon emissions.
“This innovation by Mega Prime Foods Inc. supports the government’s overall direction to host clean and sustainable manufacturing practices in the country,” Trade Secretary and BOI Chairman Alfredo E. Pascual said in a statement on Tuesday.
The BOI said the manufacturing plant has a “reduction” facility where all protein-based waste products such as heads, tails, and entrails are converted into other fishery products or byproducts by drying them using a drum dryer and afterward grounded. BOI also noted that fish oil is extracted during this process.
“The site boasts of zero raw material wastage and will not have any protein-based waste material coming out,” BOI said.
The BOI, one of the attached agencies of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), said the company has installed a 400-kiloWatt (kW) solar panel which can optimize up to 15 to 20 percent of total power consumption during day time. It is designed to accommodate the future expansion of solar panels up to twice the existing installation.
The agency also noted that the site master plan includes the future installation of a cold storage facility that will ensure raw materials and finished goods are “well preserved.”
Pascual said the Mega Manufacturing Plan was registered with the Board of Investments last February 28.