Malteurop, the malting division of French cooperative group VIVESCIA, has acquired the Chunlei Malting Co. plant near Yancheng, China, expanding its manufacturing and logistics presence in one of the world’s largest beer markets.
The acquired facility has an annual production capacity of 220,000 tonnes of malt, which Malteurop said is sufficient to produce approximately 2 billion liters of beer.
Located in Jiangsu province roughly 300 kilometers north of Shanghai, the plant is positioned near major export infrastructure, giving Malteurop additional capacity to serve customers in China, across Asia, and in broader export markets.
The acquisition was finalized during the summer of 2026 and marks another major expansion for Malteurop in China, where the company has operated for approximately 30 years. Malteurop opened its first Chinese malting facility in Baoding, Hebei province, about 150 kilometers southwest of Beijing.
Malteurop said it is currently the only foreign commercial malt producer operating in China.
The Chunlei facility also expands the company’s low-carbon production capabilities. Its manufacturing processes combine heat generated from 100% locally sourced biomass, primarily rice straw, with renewable electricity generated by wind turbines and solar panels. The renewable energy infrastructure is supported by battery storage.
Malteurop plans to use the acquisition to strengthen relationships with Chinese brewers while supporting the continued development and premiumization of the barley-malt-beer value chain.
VIVESCIA indicated that the investment could also be followed by additional projects designed to increase production capacity.
The transaction expands Malteurop’s global manufacturing network, which includes 20 malting plants across 14 countries and four continents. The company employs approximately 1,000 people and ranks among the world’s three largest malt producers.
VIVESCIA generates approximately €3 billion in annual revenue and operates 41 production sites globally. The cooperative is owned by approximately 9,000 farmers in northeastern France and employs about 4,000 people across its agricultural and grain-based ingredient businesses.
KEY QUOTES:
“This project illustrates the capacity of a leading French player in the barley, brewing and malt industry to become a lasting presence in the Chinese manufacturing ecosystem, while showcasing French agricultural expertise. It reflects our group’s long-term commitment to its presence in China and strengthens Franco-Chinese relations and economic cooperation in grain industries.”
Christoph Büren, President Of VIVESCIA Group
“Malteurop has been in China for 30 years and is now stepping up its partnership with local players in the malting and brewing industry. With this major acquisition, perfectly aligned with our VIVESCIA 3.0 strategy, our ambition is to combine local excellence with Malteurop’s global expertise to build a competitive and sustainable growth platform for its brewing customers in China, Asia and wider export markets.”
Guillaume Mothe, Managing Director Of VIVESCIA Group
