Belgian Puratos Group has begun a major expansion at its Belcolade facility in Erembodegem. As well as significantly increasing capacity and boosting flexibility to better serve customers worldwide, the expanded site shall enable accelerated innovation. Importantly, it will also be an “exemplar of sustainable chocolate production,” Jean-Philippe Michaux, CFO and Head of the Sustainability Steering Committee at Puratos, explains. Upon completion of the first phase in 2023, Belcolade shall be reconfirmed as the chocolate of choice for chocolatiers, pâtissiers and bakers. Puratos intends to nearly double the output over the next five years. The development of Belcolade is attributable to the company’s Cacao-Trace programme and the high-quality cocoa ingredients it provides.

In line with the company’s commitment to future generations, the entire Belcolade site will become carbon neutral. It will run 100 % on renewable electricity and therefore be completely free from fossil fuels. The facility will also source 90 % of its water from collected rainwater. According to Jean-Philippe Michaux, these measures are fundamental to the company’s pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2025.