MOSES LAKE — AstaReal Technologies is gearing up for its move to Grant County, providing 45 new jobs for the area. 

The company, the manufacturing subsidiary of Japanese pharmaceutical company Fuji Chemical Industry, recently announced it will build a biotechnological manufacturing plant in Moses Lake to produce natural astaxanthin. 

Astaxanthin is a an effective anti-inflammatory agent, according to a company statement.

“We want to make people healthier and happier by delivering astaxanthin raw materials for health foods to people across the world,” Fuji Chemical President and CEO Mitsunori Nishida said. 

Operations at the Moses Lake facility are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2014, according to a company statement. The plant will be located on a 10-acre parcel of land near Randolph Road, according to a previous Columbia Basin Herald article. 

The project has been in the works since March 2012, but was given the designation of “Project Jackson” by  the Grant County Economic Development Council. 

During the initial construction phase, $30 million will be invested and 45 permanent local jobs will be created. 

Most of the employees will be hired locally in mid-2014, according to the press release. 

For the full story, see Tuesday’s paper.