Arla Foods Ingredients is taking a major step towards reducing its CO2 emissions at the dairy level. A newly completed 8 million euro investment in a new heating system for Production Tower 4 at the Danmark Protein plant in Videbæk will deliver annual savings of 2,500 tonnes of CO2, equivalent to the annual heating consumption of more than 900 households using natural gas.
As part of the project, the tower is being converted from operating with a gas heater to being able to switch between heat from the plant’s existing steam system and a new electric heater. This will reduce the use of natural gas and allow renewable electricity to take over part of the operation. Calculations show that Tower 4 will be able to operate 100 per cent on renewable electricity for 23 per cent of the time.
“This investment improves operational reliability, strengthens security of supply and reduces our climate impact,” says Mogens Bøgh Pedersen, Director of the Danmark Protein plant.
Electrification significantly reduces CO2 emissions
Switching between steam and electricity allows Arla Foods Ingredients to use electricity when wind and solar power drive prices down and reduce consumption when prices rise, supporting flexible consumption in the Danish power grid while creating a strong financial business case.
The new solution is an important part of Arla’s strategy to electrify production and provides greater flexibility in energy consumption, enhanced reliability and opportunities for future development.
While the new heating system in Tower 4 is now operational, a similar project is being planned for Tower 5. Together, the investments in Towers 4 and 5 will reduce CO2 emissions by up to 5,200 tonnes annually, equivalent to the annual heating consumption of more than 1,900 households.
“In addition to delivering substantial CO2e savings, this investment also represents a very strong business case. We will also seek to scale across our other sites,” says Paul van Rooij, Vice President, Supply Chain, Arla Foods Ingredients.
