Roquette has announced plans to invest over CAD$400M ($300.7M) in the construction of a new pea-protein manufacturing facility in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada.

The investment will be the world’s largest in the food, nutrition and health industry dedicated to pea-protein to date, the company said.

Roquette chairman Edouard Roquette said: “The new plant, which will be the largest dedicated to pea protein processing in the world to date, will support the future of Manitoba’s agriculture industry and help address the growing global demand for innovative Food, Nutrition and Health products and solutions.”

Construction work is expected to commence in the second half of 2017, after securing the necessary permits. Production is set to start in 2019. The project will lead to the employment of nearly 150 people, mostly recruited locally.

Roquette produces specialty food ingredients and pharmaceutical excipients.

* Data provided by Timetric's Construction Intelligence Center.