RAUMA, FINLAND — Global consumption of oats has been growing by about 3.5% annually as the demand for high-quality oats is rising, particularly in emerging economies such as Asia and Africa, due to factors such as increased purchasing power and an increase in general health awareness among consumers.
Looking to capitalize on this trend, Finland-based Suomen Viljava commissioned a new oat mill in 2023 for its subsidiary, Oat Mill Finland. The company contracted Bühler AG, Uzwil, Switzerland, as its equipment supplier.
“Viljava has been planning an oat mill to Rauma for a long time and we are convinced that the cooperation with Bühler in this ambitious project will support us to reach our business goals,” Pasi Lähdetie, chief executive officer of Suomen Viljava, said prior to his retirement a year ago.
The mill was assembled inside an existing silo building in Rauma seaport, one of the country’s biggest container ports on the west coast of Finland.
Because of the location, all the mill’s oat products are exported, said Timo Kahilakoski, CEO of Oat Mill Finland.
Finland is the world’s second largest exporter of oats, sending about 350,000 tonnes abroad annually.
“The location at the seaport is excellent for exporting, and we were able to use an existing building,” Kahilakoski said. “There is also plenty of high-quality oats available near Rauma and thus the transport distance of the oats is short.”
More than 1 million tonnes of oats are grown in Finland annually, accounting for 30% of the total grains harvested in the country. Finland is also among the leading oat producers in the European Union, providing 14% of the Member States’ total output.
Credit: ©SOSLAND PUBLISHING CO.Between 80% and 90% of Finland’s organic oat production goes to international markets and the production and export of gluten-free oats is also growing significantly.
“I would say that Finland is a leading country in using oats in different applications,” Kahilakoski said. “For example, they are used in oat-based drinks, creams and yogurts. My personal favorites are oat breads, which are excellent products.”
Although it has a reputation of being a highly nutritious food for human consumption, about 65% of Finland’s oat production goes to animal feed. The increasing use of oats in animal feed globally is anticipated to contribute to the oats market’s expansion. Oats, valued for their high fiber, energy, and protein content, offer nutritional benefits in livestock and poultry diets.
However, almost all of Oat Mill Finland’s processed oats are targeted for human consumption, with only a small amount of thin oats used for feed applications, Kahilakoski said.
The mill, which exclusively targets industrial customers outside of Finland, produces oat groats, steel-cut oats and a large selection of oat flakes, he said.
“Our oats are tailor-made according to our customers’ needs,” he said. “Our primary customers are industrial companies producing high-quality oat-based products of various types.”
He said Oat Mill Finland has some built-in advantages that can assure customers they will receive high-quality products.
“Typically, in Finland all grain is drier, with less than 14% moisture (content) immediately after harvesting,” he said. “This creates a perfect start for achieving high-quality end products. All incoming grain is being controlled and analyzed prior to intake.
“In the mill, we have seamless quality control. This together with state-of-the-art equipment and skilled staff ensures high quality from the farm to our clients.”
Partnering with Bühler
Like many grain processing plants built during the past four years, Oat Mill Finland faced challenges during construction due to logistical problems linked to the COVID pandemic. Construction began in 2021, and the mill was commissioned in June 2023.
“Both COVID and the Russian assault into Ukraine caused problems, mainly in delivery times and the availability of certain components,” Kahilakoski said.
The company chose Bühler as the equipment supplier for the new facility.
“We were looking for a solution provider that was able to deliver a full milling equipment system including an automation system,” he said. “Bühler is such a company, and it has deep knowledge of oat milling.”
Bühler delivered a package of fully engineered solutions to Oat Mill Finland, which includes the cleaning, dehulling, kilning, cutting, and flaking technology, as well as bagging and loadout equipment.
The entire line is controlled by the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Mercury, Bühler’s full plant automation system that integrates plant control and processes to increase efficiency and traceability.
Bühler’s digital solutions were installed to improve productivity and reduce operating costs. Digital services such as Yield Management System, Error and Downtime Analysis, Overall Equipment Effectiveness and Bühler Insights Replay were fully integrated in the high-tech oat mill.
Mathias Hannsbauer, head of the Oats business segment at Bühler, said the project “offered us a unique opportunity to craft a customized and highly efficient solution to Viljava’s new plant while implementing the mill in an already existing building, taking advantage of the infrastructure already available.”
Climate-conscious company
Oats products play a significant role in addressing climate change, particularly CO2 emissions. Finland is an environmentally conscious country that emphasizes sustainability, as more than 90% of the electricity produced in Finland is CO2 neutral. Oat Mill Finland’s new plant reflects that national commitment.
Kahilakoski noted that all oat hull and sidestreams from the production process are used in energy production and thus replaces the use of fossil fuels.
“In logistics, we look for the most effective and environmentally friendly options,” he said. “Also, our package material usage is as low as possible.”
He also pointed out that the production of oats is more environmentally friendly than most grains.
“There is not that much use of pesticides in growing oats,” he said.
Room to grow
Lähdetie said the oat mill plays an important role in Viljava’s growth strategy.
“Viljava’s know-how on oat and plant-based protein products, together with the oat mill, adds value in Finnish oats and enables the growth of Finnish exports in oat products,” Lähdetie said. “Viljava’s experience in implementing investments and an extensive customer network are significant additional strengths.”
Production capacity at the mill is 110,000 tonnes of oats per year, Viljava said, with the products being made of 80,000 tonnes of groats and flakes. The mill produces 35,000 tonnes of oat hull pellets for the Baltic Rim countries feed and biofuels markets.
Kahilakoski said the mill’s processing capabilities likely will increase in the coming years.
“There is room to expand capacity at this facility and this has been taken into account from the very beginning,” he said.
