Dairy Processing - June 2021 - 46

OPERATIONS
would benefit from better energy management. Even in
facilities that produce many different types of dairy products,
improvements can be made that positively impact every line.
Some approaches are gaining steam in energy efficiency.
For example, several processors are using renewable energy
in their facilities. TCCA is among those processors.
" We have joined the local People's Utility District's (PUD)
Green Power Program and pay a premium to support this
and other projects, " Snyder said. " Through these efforts and
involvement with PUD, 100% of our electricity use at The
Creamery visitor's center is sourced from renewable energy. "
Likewise, Organic Valley's offices and production facilities
are run by 100% renewable power.
" This is through a combination of solar electric systems
mounted on our buildings, a community wind farm, and
three solar farms that we sponsor, " Rakobitsch said. " In
fact, our office building in Cashton has achieved LEED Gold
certification, and it consumes 55 percent less energy than a
typical office building of its size. "
Another example of innovations in this area comes from
Leprino Foods, which received the 2020 Outstanding Dairy
Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability Award from the
Innovation Center for US Dairy for its Greeley, Colo. facility.
That facility uses a dual combined heat and power system
that generates electricity from a pair of natural gas turbines,
providing 12 megawatts of onsite electricity generation. In
addition, that plant has a wastewater solids digester and
biogas cogeneration engine that provides 25% of the electricity
to the treatment plant.
" I would say the industry, in general,
is continually looking for ways to
improve and maximize efficiencies. "
Nicole Rakobitsch, Organic Valley
Worldwide, dairy operations are investing in the latest
energy efficiency technologies. In India, an ultra-high
temperature production line is currently being installed at
the leading dairy company, Creamy Foods, Ltd. GEA India
is working with the company to create indirect heating and
cooling through special tubular heat exchangers with a high
heat recovery of about 88% over the entire production run.
In addition to renewable energy and more efficient (and
often LED) lighting, refrigeration and machinery, dairy
processors are converting energy in different ways.
" At our Boardman production facility, a heat recovery
system helps significantly reduce our energy consumption, "
Snyder said. " We also use steam directly from the Portland
General Electric Coyote Springs electrical generating
station, decreasing the energy required for process heating at
our facility. "
Stonyfield Organic continues to pioneer ways to optimize
energy at its locations. The company uses an anaerobic
pre-treatment system that generates energy from yogurt
processing waste. This uses 40% less energy than conventional
dairy treatment systems. According to Drake, Stonyfield is
focused on opportunities for waste-heat recovery.
Robbie Lock, sustainability manager at HP Hood, LLC,
Lynnfield, Mass. said that efficiencies all around enable
companies to run better. In 2019, HP Hood's plant in Agawam,
Mass. received the first-ever ENERGY STAR certification
given to a fluid dairy processing plant by the EPA.
" Hood is investing in sustainability and prioritizing energy
efficiency to help drive long-term business innovation and
success, " he said. " All of our key stakeholders, from company
leadership and employees, to customers and consumers,
understand the value of integrating sustainability alongside
product quality and value. "
46 JUN 2021 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Cashton
http://www.DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy Processing - June 2021

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