Italians prepare to build a distillery in Panevėžys

Waiting for the project

Fifteen years later, when Panevėžys lost since the 19th century. the alcohol production that made him famous, this branch of business returns to the capital of Aukštaitija. Italians are preparing to build an ethyl alcohol factory on J. Janonio Street.
The site of the future factory on J. Janonio Street is currently being prepared: the old buildings that have been raised from the ground have been completed.

Last year, the city received the news that new investors from Italy were coming to Panevėžys, the Etea Group company, which is ready to invest in an ethyl alcohol plant.

Last year environmental impact assessment documents were also prepared for such activities.

However, the new investors have not yet submitted applications or projects to the City Council.
“As far as we know, this process is already on the way to the Municipality. We will probably receive project proposals for a distillery on J. Janonio Street later this year,” said Saulius Glinskis, chief architect of the Municipality’s Department of Architecture and Territorial Planning. of Panevėžys.

The Italian company, which has been in business for a quarter of a century, operates in five countries, and a year and a half ago opened a subsidiary at Etea LT in Vilnius. According to the website Rekvizitai.lt, the company has an employee.

According to S. Glinskis, while only the distillery project is being prepared, probably one person will be enough to organize such works, and then the staff and activities should be expanded.

New job positions

The environmental impact assessment documents for the construction and operation of the future wheat processing waste ethyl alcohol factory indicate that the new factory is planned in Panevėžys, J. Janonio str. 6.

Now there are construction ruins in this area of ​​approximately 1.5 ha.

At the end of last year, it was announced that investments in the future plant will reach 24.5 million. up to 25 jobs will be created. The new plant in the industrial district of the capital Aukštaitija is scheduled to start operating in 2021.

Etea LT, registered in Vilnius, plans to produce natural grain ethyl alcohol for use in the production of alcoholic beverages and absolute alcohol for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

The residues from the Roquette-Amylin starch production will be used as raw material.

The capacity of the new plant is expected to reach 32 thousand. tons per year, which is much more than the only Obeliai distillery.

New investors are preparing to present the planned distillery project in Panevėžys in more detail at the end of October.

In the heat of sobriety

Panevėžys first inhaled alcohol in 1890, when in the era of sobriety proclaimed by Bishop Motiejus Valančius, Troškūnai landowner S. Montvila established a yeast and brandy factory near Nevėžis. The factory was one of the largest companies operating in Kaunas province.

According to the Panevėžys Museum of Local Customs, the factory was located on the left bank of the Nevėžis river and occupied more than two hectares of land with all the huts. Of its ten hulls, half were brick and the rest were wood. Production matters were handled by contract administrators.

The basis of the raw material at that time were the products of Raguvele, Troškūnai and other mansions owned by S. Montvila. Potatoes grown on foals and cereals were processed locally with cheap labor.

During the year, the Panevėžys factory produced up to one million pounds of yeast (28 kopecks per pound). These products even traveled to Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev.

95 percent. the volumes of alcohol production were also huge. In addition, Panevėžys allocated part of the production to rectification by order of the state. It is a process in which the impurities of the distilled ethyl alcohol are removed; pure alcohol was needed for medicine.

The annual turnover of the first yeast and liquor factory was up to 500 thousand rubles.

Even the children worked

The organization of workshops at the S. Montvila factory at the beginning of the 20th century recalled the workshops of medieval workers. In severe conditions after 1 pm more than 100 workers, including children, worked hard for a small wage a day.

During the First World War, the Panevėžys yeast and distillery ended their existence: all copper household appliances and their parts were exported to Germany. What was left over was used by the occupying power to make preserves.
At the end of the war, the factory was finally destroyed. The owner of the S. Montvila factory himself was assassinated.

But after the cannons fell, one by one, the relatives of this landowner began to choose again. 1921 they decided to reactivate the business of the prosperous owner and establish a joint-stock company “St. The heirs of Montville and Ko.

According to information sources at the Panev Museožys Museum of Local Customs, the new factory produced yeast and spirits, as well as waste. In 1955, the factory produced products for 0.1 thousand. rubles per day.

The main raw material for the production of yeast at that time was grain – barley and rye obtained from the republic.
In 1941 the company was transformed into the Panevėžys state yeast factory, ten years later into the Panev, žys spirits plant and, in 1986, into the Panevėžys food plant.

After the proclamation of the independence of Lithuania, the factory was privatized and became the Sema alcohol production company. At the end of the last century, the company had revenues of $ 38.5 million. more than 330 people worked here.

Fifteen years ago, Semai decided to file for bankruptcy, and now it is reminiscent of old photographs: the factory buildings have been swept off the ground, of which the new owners have kept two red brick houses for housing. A quarter of a residential apartment building was designed on the site of the city’s former spiritual empire.