Finland’s Solar Foods has signed a Letter of Intent with a leading international brand in health and performance nutrition, with the aim of commercializing between 500 and 1,650 tonnes per year of its air-based protein, Solein, over the period 2026-2030.
The Letter of Intent describes the companies’ intentions to collaborate on the development of products in the Health & Performance category, and outlines the fundamental principles of the planned collaboration. The intention behind the partnership is to advance product development and explore integration into end-customer offerings, such as ready-to-mix protein shakes and protein bars.
If the Letter of Intent leads to a binding agreement, 1,650 tonnes of Solein per year would correspond to around 13% of the full production capacity of the company’s Factory 02, currently in its pre-engineering phase. The facility will be constructed in three phases, with the first becoming operational in 2028 and the second and third completing in 2029 and 2030 respectively. Factory 02 has an annual planned capacity of 12,800 tons, and the final investment decision for the site is expected to be made next year.
Strong commercial potential
The news comes after Solar Foods signed two MoUs regarding the commercialization of 6,000 tonnes of Solein per year earlier in 2025. If these collaborations and the new Letter of Intent all come to fruition, the total volume commitment will correspond to around 50-60% of the production capacity of Factory 02.
Solar Foods previously opened its first facility, Factory 01, in Vantaa, Finland, last year. The site is claimed to be the first in the world to produce air-based protein. When completed, Factory 02 will have almost a hundred times the design capacity of Factory 01.
“These agreements strongly validate Solein’s commercial potential, and should the collaborations lead to binding agreements, they would correspond already to a major share of the production capacity of Factory 02,” said Rami Jokela, CEO of Solar Foods. “Customers’ interest towards Solein also plays an important role in preparing for the final investment decision for Factory 02.”
