The Terresis plant at Ólvega: a performance-driven production model
The Terresis plant in Ólvega (Spain) focuses exclusively on producing magnesium oxide-based solutions for animal nutrition, and came on stream in February 2025, marking the culmination of a project completed in record time. Every stage of its development from design through construction to commissioning was precisely managed with close attention to detail. Three factors made all the difference: full control of the production chain, demanding safety standards and rapid implementation capability.
What are the special features unique to Terresis Ólvega?
The first thing to say is that this has been an atypical project, because we’ve taken a greenfield site and created an operational plant in just six months. Our ambition was clear from the outset: to make Ólvega a driver for growth and a showcase for the magnesium oxidebased products used in animal nutrition. Our integrated model is another unique feature. From extraction in our mines to processing in our plants, we have full control of the entire process, from raw material collection right through to the finished product. Lastly, Ólvega is unusual for the degree of automation in its grinding and blending processes, which not only boosts efficiency, but also improves safety, facilitates maintenance and reduces the number of repetitive tasks.
How have the challenges of operational excellence been integrated into the transformation of your site?
Those challenges guided all our decisions from day one onwards. But thanks to the experience gained at external production sites and our continuous product development pathway, we were able to select the right equipment for our purposes and define the various processes accurately. So the infrastructure was designed to optimise flows and minimise unnecessary movement. We’ve also been innovative in terms of packaging: our vacuum-sealed bags allow us to deliver a more stable, higher-quality product to our customers. And then, of course, there’s the issue of safety, a fundamental requirement we’ve addressed right from the design stage by establishing clear procedures and standards, designing user-friendly workstations and, most importantly, involving employees in making decisions and communicating good practices.
«From extraction in our mines to processing in our plants, we have full control of the entire process, from raw material collection right through to the finished product.»
Anyul Iriarte, Ólvega Plant Manager
How important are employee initiative and empowerment in your view?
Commissioning a manufacturing site like this is as much a people issue as a technical one. The challenge we had was to put together a team capable of operating the facilities safely, independently and efficiently from the get-go. We involved all members actively in workstation design and plant layout from a very early stage. This involvement has definitely played a decisive role in building a substantial and united safety culture. We’ve also made changes to the roles of individual employees. Single workstation operators have been replaced by multi-skilled operators who have a role to play in every production process, monitor those processes and work on improving them. Taking this approach has made us a high-performance plant that benefits from a learning organisation that is constantly evolving and adapting as a direct result of the employees who work in it.
You’ve now been in operation for more than a year, so how would you assess that period and what does the future hold for you?
The fact that we reached rated production capacity within twelve months says a great deal about the robust design of the plant and the efficiency of our processes. We’ve also seen that centralising production plays an active role in site operational excellence. The result is that we now have a stable and reliable production environment that will support the growth of our business and help us build trust-based relationships with our customers and partners. The plant still has significant potential for production and operational expansion. In the near term, we plan to increase our raw materials storage capacity and install new silos to boost our production capacity and prepare for manufacturing more products. We will also be automating the vertical furnace (MHF) and the filling systems for certain products. These improvements will be another structurally important step towards greater process stability, efficiency and safety.