€400m chocolate factory takes shape in Finland

Finnish food group Fazer is building a new chocolate factory in the Pippo industrial area of Lahti, southern Finland. The building will be 330 metres long, with a total floor area of 33,300 square metres, and production is due to start in 2028.

Fazer announced the project in July 2025, putting the investment at approximately €400 million. Some chocolate production will continue at the company’s existing plant in Vantaa.

“The investment of approximately EUR 400 million is the largest in Fazer’s history and it is also significant from a Finnish food industry perspective,” said Christoph Vitzthum, President and CEO of Fazer Group, when the project was announced.

Skanska is the construction management contractor and Sweco the lead designer. Local firms are involved in work including earthworks, precast element deliveries and electrical contracts. The construction phase is estimated to employ hundreds of professionals across different trades, amounting to more than 500,000 working hours between 2025 and 2028.

“It is great to take on a major project where we can put Skanska’s broad expertise and experience in construction, building services and infrastructure construction at the client’s disposal,” says Petri Laukkanen, regional manager at Skanska.

According to Fazer, the plant will be free of carbon dioxide emissions through electrification and comprehensive energy recycling. Once in operation, the factory is estimated to cut emissions across the Fazer group by around 10 per cent compared with 2024 levels.

The plant will use modern manufacturing technology, digitalisation and a very high level of automation, with the aim of making production more efficient, speeding up product changeovers and reducing production waste. Fazer says the automated lines will also allow entirely new types of products to be made.