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olam food ingredients (ofi) marks dairy milestone adding manufacturing capacity to meet the needs of customers

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3 years ago

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olam

Through commissioning a new milk powder dryer and gravity flow production system, ofi remains laser focused on servicing customers across the Middle East and Africa

SINGAPORE, Singapore, October 16, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Expands plant facility & strengthens capabilities of Ingredient Excellence Center in Malaysia; New category labs with state-of-the-art R&D equipment enabling production teams to refine and develop customizable food and beverage solutions tailored to local requirements; ofi (www.ofi.com) to showcase new products and innovation offering at Gulfood Manufacturing, Dubai, anchored by Malaysia expansion and new dairy production plant in New Zealand.

ofi, a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients, has increased its ingredient manufacturing footprint by adding significant capacity to its dairy production facility in Johor, Malaysia. Through commissioning a new milk powder dryer and gravity flow production system, ofi remains laser focused on servicing customers across the Middle East and Africa.  

Sandeep Jain, Managing Director and CEO, Dairy, at ofi commented: “The demand for nutrition-rich functional dairy ingredients continues to grow at pace across the Middle East & Africa and these new capabilities enable us to co-create products that are focused on health, taste and convenience. With food safety and operational excellence at the core of the plant design, we’re ensuring consistent product quality and stability. We’re excited to now offer customers in the region even more exciting innovation-led opportunities.”

The enhancements to the Johor processing facility’s capabilities will strengthen the production volume of functional dairy ingredients and fat filled milk powder made per year, in turn enabling ofi’s customers to formulate innovative applications at scale. In addition, the expanded integrated dairy Ingredient Excellence Center (“IEC”) has new laboratory spaces with state-of-the-art research and development equipment dedicated to supporting customers seeking a customizable, tailored and cost-efficient approach to application solutions in beverages, bakery and frozen dairy desserts.

Local customers across the region will also benefit from ofi’s deep working knowledge of nuanced consumer trends. An example from Senegal where local ofi teams worked in close collaboration with yogurt producers, building their understanding around the differing priorities from yield to viscosity and color, highlights the differentiated offering that ofi delivers for its customers. These insights were then shared with research and development teams at the Malaysia plant to refine and develop customizable food and beverage solutions tailored to local market requirements. Added to this are the technological developments resulting from the installation of a new gravity flow production system at the plant. The new system allows for less powder particle breakage and leads to improved wettability and solubility of the end product.

With food safety and operational excellence at the core of the plant design, we’re ensuring consistent product quality and stability

ofi will be presenting at Gulfood Manufacturing – Dubai, between 7th to 9th November, engaging regional customers about the enhanced dairy production capabilities from the Malaysia plant along with the upcoming opening of the new dairy processing plant in the heart of New Zealand’s dairy region, producing whole milk powder and other high-value dairy ingredients. It will also be a chance to spotlight innovative beverage and bakery product applications along with a range of milk applications made from ofi’s fat filled milk powder.

Shashi Sharma, Regional Sales Manager for Africa, Dairy, at ofi commented: “The expanded capabilities and enhanced facilities at our Malaysia dairy plant speaks directly to our aim of becoming a more customer-centric organization, providing a customizable approach across each of the markets in which we operate across Africa. Our signature Lactorich range of dairy solutions continue to transform the way consumers experience this healthy and nutritious product. In East Africa, we’re providing customers with a milk powder called Vers that is robust and both coffee and tea-stable, offering optimized performance in functionality, value and taste, helping our customers create better dairy products with no added flavors. We’re also delighted to be showcasing yogurts made from our Lactorich Pluz powder at Gulfood Manufacturing next month, a cost-effective and high yield product that has been developed to suit the requirements of customers, particularly across West African markets.”

Zakariae Bensouda, Regional Sales Manager for the Middle East, Dairy, at ofi commented: “The new facilities both complement ofi’s existing global footprint and also strengthen our co-creation capabilities across the region, with the plant strategically located to continue to serve Middle East based customers in creating their next delicious and nutritious product for consumers. Lactorich Prime is a versatile milk powder that can replace whole milk powder across a variety of applications, serving customers across a range of Middle Eastern markets. It is a premium, clean label product, developed using natural ingredients that has been tailored to meet taste and texture needs of consumers across UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman.”

Sustainability is also a central component of the plant design. It uses solar power, rainwater harvesting and operates at a high efficacy rate with strong energy and water consumption practices, with close to zero raw material wastage.

Gulfood Manufacturing

  • ofi Dairy Stand No. B8-38 (Hall 8, Dubai WTC)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of ofi.

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China’s digital hub Hangzhou hosts conference on AI, OPC

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2 hours ago

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June 30, 2026

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OPC

HANGZHOU, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 30 June 2026 – The inaugural AI+OPC Innovation and Development Conference was held from June 29 to 30 in Shangcheng District, Hangzhou, capital city of east China’s Zhejiang Province. Centered on one-person company (OPC), a new form of smart economy in the AI era, the conference program comprised one opening ceremony and two parallel breakout sessions.

It gathered around 400 delegates from government departments, industry associations, financial institutions, AI enterprises and OPC startup operators across the country. Participants exchanged insights on AI innovation pathways and cross-industry integration strategies, injecting strong impetus into Hangzhou’s ambition to develop a national benchmark hub for AI+OPC entrepreneurship.

A series of key launches and milestone ceremonies took place during the opening segment. Official releases included the 2026 national OPC development observation report, Hangzhou’s 2026–2028 action plan and supporting policies to build a national AI+OPC entrepreneurship hub, and a catalog of actionable AI+OPC application scenarios. Attendees also received an in-depth interpretation of the specifications for AI-enabled OPC community services and evaluation.

The ceremony featured multiple landmark initiatives: plaque awarding for Hangzhou’s priority AI+OPC incubation communities and dedicated observation sites, the official launch of the AI+OPC Community Alliance initiative, and a kickoff marking the official construction of the national AI+OPC entrepreneurship hub.

The open forum session featured keynote speeches from distinguished industry and academic leaders. Speakers included Pan Yunhe, former executive vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor at Zhejiang University; Liang Gui, former executive vice governor of Jiangxi Province and ex-director of the Torch High Technology Industry Development Center under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; and Zou Ling, head of Hong Hub, Shangcheng District’s single-member unicorn startup acceleration community, who shared cutting-edge insights from varied perspectives.

A panel dialogue followed, bringing together representatives from Moshu OPC Community (Beijing E-Town), the School of Future Science and Engineering at Soochow University, Qingju Hub · Future Digital Intelligence Port (Shangcheng District), and Puhua Capital for in-depth industry exchanges.

Complementary concurrent events held throughout the conference included an OPC capital-industry matchmaking salon, a symposium on industry-education integration for AI-powered OPC sectors, and a national exchange forum for AI+OPC community practitioners.

OPC has emerged as a vibrant new engine driving economic vitality and underpinning high-quality development. Against the backdrop of a new development era, the inaugural Hangzhou AI+OPC Innovation and Development Conference unites OPC innovators nationwide.

Drawing on the creative energy of millions of independent super-individual operators, the event delivers sustained digital momentum to fuel Hangzhou’s super-individual economy, while rolling out replicable local practices and actionable Hangzhou solutions to advance high-quality growth of smart economies nationwide.

 

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Hainan FTP marks 6-month milestone of special customs operations, signs deals during Hong Kong visit

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9 hours ago

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June 30, 2026

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Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 29 June 2026 – As the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) marked the six-month milestone since the launch of its full special customs operations, a Hainan provincial delegation wrapped up a three-day visit to Hong Kong. During the visit, the delegation signed deepened cooperation agreements with several major local chambers of commerce and promoted the latest policies introduced since the island-wide special customs operations took effect.

According to data released by Hainan Province during the visit, Hainan’s foreign trade has surged since the launch of special customs operations. As of June 17, the province’s total goods imports and exports reached RMB 173.98 billion (approximately US$24 billion), up 54.6% year on year. Imports of zero-tariff goods hit RMB 2.645 billion, a 120% jump that generated tariff savings of RMB 440 million. A total of 172,100 new market entities were registered—a 61% increase—including 1,240 foreign-invested enterprises. Zero-tariff items now account for 74% of all tariff lines, benefiting more than 12,000 market entities.

During the Hong Kong visit, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Provincial Committee (CCPIT Hainan) signed separate deepened cooperation MOUs with the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong and the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Under the MOUs, the parties will establish a regular liaison mechanism for the periodic exchange of economic and trade information, and will promote collaboration in areas including professional services, green finance, the digital economy, supply chain management, and cultural tourism. Mutual enterprise service desks will be set up to provide consulting services regarding policies and projects. The parties will leverage their complementary strengths to help Chinese mainland enterprises access overseas markets via Hong Kong, while facilitating Hong Kong companies’ entry into the Chinese mainland through Hainan.

The delegation also held talks with the British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, exploring ways for British and American businesses to leverage Hainan’s value-added processing tariff exemptions and multifunctional free trade accounts to position themselves in regional supply chains and cross-border investment and financing. HSBC, De Beers, and other British firms are already active in Hainan, and the UK served as the Guest of Honor country at the 2025 China International Consumer Products Expo.

According to industry analysts, amid the shifting international trade landscape, Hainan is leveraging Hong Kong’s “super-connector” role to accelerate its integration with global capital and business networks, while simultaneously offering the Hong Kong business community a policy testing ground for entering the Chinese mainland market.

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Africa’s Grid Constraints Come into Focus as Regional Markets Push Toward Integration

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4 days ago

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June 26, 2026

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Africa

Regional power pools are advancing and renewable pipelines are growing, but the regulatory and financial architecture needed to connect them remains the continent’s most critical infrastructure gap – an issue central to the Power Africa Today conference at AEW 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.

In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.

Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.

Power Markets Experiment with Reform

Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.

Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.

Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future

Regional Integration Remains Fragmented

Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.

West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.

Building Bankable Financial Architectures

While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.

New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.

“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”

The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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