The company has invested €35 ​​million in this modern 12,000-square-meter complex

Balfegó Inaugurates World's Most Advanced Bluefin Tuna Processing Plant with Focus on Sustainability

SPAIN
Thursday, April 24, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)

With a 35-million-euro investment in L'Ametlla de Mar (Tarragona), the new facilities will double processing capacity, diversify the product range, and reinforce the environmental and social commitment of the global leader.

Committed to environmental and social sustainability from its inception, Balfegó Grup, a global leader in bluefin tuna fishing, aquaculture, and commercialization, has inaugurated its new and cutting-edge processing facilities in L’Ametlla de Mar (Tarragona). The company has invested 35 million euros in this modern 12,000-square-meter complex, which replaces the previous plant damaged by fire in 2018 and stands as the most advanced in the world dedicated to bluefin tuna.

This new infrastructure will allow Balfegó not only to double its current processing capacity as a minimum but also to expand its catalog of products and preparations for both the professional market and mass consumption, including carpaccio, sakus, and tartar. To achieve these objectives, Balfegó has equipped its plant with state-of-the-art technology, which will enable task automation, efficiency maximization, consumption reduction, and the guarantee of a top-quality product, the brand's hallmark.

Juan Serrano at the presentation ceremony

Balfegó's new facilities are integrated into the continuous improvement policy that the company applies in its aquaculture centers, where it annually allocates between 1 and 1.5 million euros to innovation, maintenance, and sustainability. The company expects to close its fiscal year on April 30th with a turnover of 107.6 million euros and a workforce of 335 professionals.

The new complex, which will drive an approximate 15% growth in the company's human resources, will house various specialized work areas, such as cutting and filleting rooms, freezing and preservation zones, packaging, logistics, and distribution spaces. It will also integrate the company's administrative offices and Balfegó's gastronomic experimentation center, which already existed in its previous factory but now boasts expanded dimensions and greater external visibility.

Juan Serrano showing the new facilities to authorities and guests

Sustainable Commitment as a Design Pillar

The new facilities have been specifically designed to strengthen the company's commitment to quality and sustainability, both environmentally and socially, values that define Balfegó. A central aspect of the new project is its alignment with the principles of B Corp certification, obtained by the company in 2024, making it the first in the Spanish fishing sector to achieve this. In this regard, the facilities incorporate advanced energy efficiency measures, the use of renewable energy, the optimization of water resources, and rigorous environmental control systems.

Furthermore, Balfegó has initiated the process to certify the new facilities under the international sustainable building standard BREEAM, with the ambitious goal of achieving its highest rating. All of this consolidates the commitment acquired by the company to reduce its carbon footprint by 46% by the year 2030.

According to Juan Serrano, CEO of Balfegó, “our new headquarters marks a turning point in the conception of bluefin tuna production and transformation, with safer facilities for our team and more versatile for our product. This will allow us to merge science, gastronomy, and technology to continue supplying the kitchens of more than 40 countries where we currently have a presence.”

Gastronomic Experimentation Center: A Culinary Laboratory

The new complex will also feature an innovative gastronomic experimentation center, conceived as a culinary laboratory aimed at chefs, researchers, and restaurant professionals. This space will foster the development of new techniques, applications, and recipes centered around bluefin tuna, while also promoting collaboration with cooking schools, R&D centers, and emerging figures in the national and international gastronomic scene.

Balfegó, which already organized this type of meeting in its previous facilities, will now be able to expand its capacity, thus strengthening the role of the experimentation center as a central hub for gastronomic training and innovation. This initiative adds to other actions by Balfegó in the gastronomic field, such as the Tunateca Balfegó space in Barcelona, the international Chef Balfegó competition, the ITAMAE Balfegó professional sushi championship, and the BalfegóWTalent scholarship for young female aspiring chefs, reaffirming the company's commitment to the dissemination and culinary excellence linked to bluefin tuna.

In the words of Juan Serrano, CEO of Balfegó, “we are taking a very important step to contribute to a more ethical, inclusive, and sustainable economy. We seek for our economic activity to have a positive impact on people, the environment, and our community – adds Serrano –, and with these facilities, we contribute to strengthening the socio-economic fabric of our region, of Tarragona, and of our sector.”

editorial@seafood.media
www.seafood.media

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