Arla Foods Ingredients unveils US$9.26M tower to reduce gas emissions

DENMARK – Arla Food Ingredients has completed a US$9.26 million (8 million euro) investment in a new heating system for Production Tower 4 at the Danmark Protein plant in Videbæk, which 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 switching between heat from the plant’s existing steam system and a new electric heater.

This will reduce natural gas use and allow renewable electricity to take over part of the operation. Calculations show that Tower 4 will be able to operate 100% on renewable electricity for 23% of the time.

“This investment improves operational reliability, strengthen security of supply and reduce our climate impact.” said 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.

Arla Foods Ingredients installs electric boiler to cut emissions

Recently, the company installed an electric boiler at its Denmark Protein whey processing plant as part of its efforts to reduce carbon emissions. 

The company reported that the new system will cut annual CO2 equivalent emissions by an estimated 3,500 tonnes, with further reductions expected. 

According to Arla Foods Ingredients, the 16-megawatt electric boiler replaces two gas boilers and generates steam for spray-drying towers used in producing powdered whey ingredients.

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