Fire breaks out at Volare Oy industrial facility in Hyvinkää, Finland

A fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon in an industrial facility of Volare Oy in Hyvinkää, caused by a microwave used for drying soldier fly larvae. This industrial microwave, measuring a couple of meters tall and ten meters long, caught fire during the drying process.

The Central Uusimaa Fire Department responded quickly to extinguish the fire and ventilate the area. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, as the fire remained contained within the microwave unit.

Tuure Parviainen, CEO of Volare Oy, explained that the microwave is integral to the drying process of the black soldier fly larvae, aimed at removing moisture. He rushed to the scene immediately upon learning of the incident, first ensuring that all employees were safe. While the assessment of material damage is ongoing, Parviainen anticipates that the losses will be relatively minor.

In Hyvinkää, the larvae are processed into protein powder, which is then used in various pet foods and fish feeds. The technique for transforming fly larvae into protein has been developed over several years and is patented and protected. The larvae are fed with by-products from the food industry, such as oat husks.

Volare Oy operates a pilot facility in Hyvinkää where they produce protein powder from the larvae and conduct test batches for clients. Parviainen noted a growing demand for insect protein in feed products, stating that the market is thriving. However, he believes that insect-derived protein for human consumption is still some time away. Plans are in place to construct a large-scale facility for protein production next year, although the exact location in southern Finland has not yet been disclosed.