EU PROJECTS
We are a socially responsible company. To ensure long-term sustainability and contribute to environmental protection, we invest heavily in modern production equipment, advanced management methods, renewable energy sources, and other projects. By embracing the latest technologies and innovations, we aim to become leaders in the sustainable food industry, delivering not only the highest quality products but also committing to environmental principles.
UAB “AR MAISTAS” SOLAR POWER PLANT INSTALLATION PROJECT
The installation of renewable energy capacity and the development and implementation of new, more efficient technologies in industrial companies create opportunities to use energy for the companies’ internal needs and supply surplus energy to other industrial companies or feed it into centralized power grids.
The annually increasing energy consumption and rising energy prices have encouraged UAB “AR Maistas”, located in the Panevėžys LEZ territory, to assess its energy use, explore saving opportunities, improve energy efficiency, and implement various measures and technologies that protect the environment and natural resources.
UAB “AR Maistas” conducted an energy consumption audit and, following the recommendations, plans to implement the “UAB “AR Maistas” Solar Power Plant Installation Project” within two years. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The total project value is EUR 659,813.00, with EU funding of EUR 240,765.20.
The project will increase the share of renewable energy in UAB “AR Maistas” total energy consumption, enable the company to use the generated electricity for its own internal needs, and reduce consumption of traditional energy sources.
INCREASING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AT UAB “AR MAISTAS”
Measures to improve energy efficiency are seen not only as a way to ensure sustainable energy supply, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, improve energy security, and lower import costs but also as a means to boost Europe’s competitiveness. Therefore, reducing energy consumption is becoming increasingly important in industrial companies.
The annually rising energy consumption and increasing energy prices have led UAB “AR Maistas,” a manufacturer of flour-based baked goods and corn snacks, to assess its energy use and explore opportunities to use energy more efficiently by improving energy efficiency. Additionally, global trends toward sustainable consumption and environmental friendliness, embraced by both competitors and end consumers, motivate the company to seek and implement various environmentally friendly technologies, processes, and measures that reduce GHG emissions.
UAB “AR Maistas” conducted an energy audit and, based on its recommendations, plans to implement the project “Increasing Energy Efficiency at UAB AR Maistas” within two years. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. The project budget is EUR 2,648,000 and will be invested in equipment that allows the company to use energy more efficiently and reduce its GHG emissions by more than 30%.
This project will contribute to lowering primary energy consumption and GHG emissions, supporting Lithuania’s efforts to combat climate change, promote clean and fair energy, encourage a circular economy, adapt to climate change, prevent and manage risks from extreme weather events, and address air pollution and resource efficiency.
UAB “AR MAISTAS” PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT AND DATA ANALYTICS DIGITALIZATION PROJECT
The food industry company based in Panevėžys has undertaken the implementation of the “UAB “AR Maistas” Production Management and Data Analytics Digitalization Project”, which is partially financed under the 2014-2020 European Union Funds Investment Operational Programme Priority 3 “Promoting the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses” implementation measure “Industry Digitalization LT”, the total project amount is EUR 306,296. The company plans to allocate these funds to the implementation of digitalization solutions for raw material dosing, packaging and production management. The project being implemented will ensure greater production flexibility and contribute to a positive impact on the environment, promoting industrial symbiosis and ensuring a continuous environmental protection effect.
CREATION OF ORIGINAL PACKAGING DESIGN SOLUTIONS FOR UAB “AR MAISTAS” PRODUCTS
Every business that sells products must take care of their packaging design. Innovative packaging design helps products become more visible and stand out from the large number of similar products. The consumer forms the first impression of a product in just the first 7 seconds, so it is necessary to ensure that the product instantly stands out and is very noticeable. According to various studies, from 76 percent to 82 percent of decisions to buy a product are made in a store when they come face to face with the product. Therefore, packaging design plays a particularly important role, helping products to be noticed, providing useful information about the product and increasing brand awareness.
The design of a product’s packaging can lose its impact and appeal to the consumer over the years, therefore, depending on the product category, it is recommended to update its design, and sometimes even completely replace the existing one. A bakery company based in Panevėžys implemented the project “Creation of Original “AR Maistas”, UAB product packaging design solutions”, which was partially financed from the European Regional Development Fund, the total project amount is EUR 49,000. The company allocated these funds to create packaging design solutions for serial product lines – biscuits, crackers and snacks.
IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW TECHNOLOGICAL LINE TO REDUCE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT
The bakery industry uses a large amount of natural resources to produce its products, the main of which are electricity and natural gas. Increasingly, representatives of this business, in order to conserve natural resources and maintain competitiveness, are implementing modern, innovative technologies.
UAB “AR Maistas”, which offers a wide variety of “Saulės Grūdas” brand crackers and a wide range of “JDC” (Joint Bread Center) brand flour baked goods, implemented project No. 03.3.2-LVPA-K-837-02-0038 “Installation of a new technological line to reduce negative environmental impact” under the 2014-2020 European Union Funds Investment Operational Program Priority 3 “Promoting the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises” measure No. 03.3.2-LVPA-K-837 “Eco-innovations LT+”. The company purchased new automatic technological and packaging equipment for confectionery products, which allowed it to improve products and reduce the amount of waste generated in production, save natural resources and reduce environmental pollution. The total value of the project is EUR 1,027,600.00, of which EUR 462,420.00 is financed from the European Union Regional Development Fund.
The goal of UAB “AR Maistas” is to combine the development of the company with the implementation of technological eco-innovations in order to reduce the negative consequences of climate change and the greenhouse effect and at the same time ensure the rational use of resources in the production process and maintain competition in the markets. EU support allows for the creation of infrastructure, thanks to which
electricity costs in the production process are saved. After the project was implemented, the range of manufactured products was expanded. In response to market needs, it is planned to offer customers gluten-free products, and to use more environmentally friendly materials such as paper or cardboard for packaging in order to reduce the amount of plastic packaging.
INSTALLATION OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE INNOVATIVE PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
UAB ,,AR Maistas”, taking into account the prevailing trends in the market and analyzing the best commercial development prospects and evaluating the company’s development opportunities, made a decision to use the EU funding measure “Regio potential LT”. UAB “AR Maistas” is implementing the project “Installation of high-performance innovative production equipment”, which is financed from the European Regional Development Fund, the total project amount is EUR 786,920.00. The company plans to allocate these funds to the acquisition of innovative production equipment, which will improve the quality of production, increase the company’s labor productivity, reduce the limitations of the production process due to the current unproductive packaging process, reduce production downtime, the need for unproductive manual labor, and it will be possible to offer safer products to the consumer. In this way, the company’s competitiveness in both Lithuanian and foreign markets will increase.
The technology planned to be purchased will help achieve the following objectives:
Increase the environmental friendliness of manufactured products and reduce harmful impacts on the environment;
Increase production productivity;
Increase the quality of manufactured products;
Improve working conditions for the company’s employees, increase occupational safety;
Reduce the amount of basic and auxiliary materials consumed;
Reduce the cost of manufactured products.
The implementation of this project will also have a positive impact on the implementation of environmental requirements and will reduce pollution due to the purchase of high-quality environmentally friendly equipment. High-performance innovative equipment will ensure ergonomic, high-quality, environmentally friendly production of products, allowing for the saving of raw materials, electricity and human resources.
INCREASING THE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF SOLAR ENERGY IN PRODUCTION ACTIVITIES OF UAB “AR MAISTAS”
UAB “AR Maistas” – a manufacturer of various baked goods and snacks – consumes a large amount of electricity in technological processes, therefore energy saving in industry is inevitable nowadays.
In order to reduce production costs and greenhouse gas emissions, the company implemented the project “UAB “AR Maistas” increasing solar energy production and consumption in production activities” (No. 04.2.1-LVPA-K-836-02-0021), worth almost 416 thousand EUR, partially financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the measure “Renewable energy resources for industry LT+” of the 2014-2020 European Union Funds Investment Operational Programme Priority 4 “Promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy production and use”.
The installed 400 kW solar power plant will cover up to a quarter of the company’s current energy costs and will allow for greater energy efficiency. Thanks to measures using renewable energy, not only economic but also social benefits will be achieved. The installed solar power plant will help reduce the amount of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants emitted into the environment. The implemented project will not only affect the company’s competitiveness, but will also contribute to a positive impact on the environment.