Dairy firm Valio has announced that it plans to phase out the use of natural gas at its Riihimäki dairy plant, alongside energy partner Adven.
The company noted that it had previously converted energy production at the facility into biofuels, and it had only been using natural gas during the winter months.
The natural-gas boilers used by the facility have now been replaced by an electric boiler, the Finnish company noted.
Efficiency Of Natural Gas
“Natural gas has been in use in Riihimäki factories for a longer time with a small load, and in this kind of use, the efficiency of natural gas is poor,” commented Peter Fabritius, energy manager at Valio.
“In addition, Valio’s goal is to reset milk’s carbon footprint to zero by 2035. This means phasing out fossil fuels such as natural gas.”
Riihimäki Operations
Valio operates two production plants in Riihimäki – a snack plant, which was completed in 2017, and the Herajoki dairy plant, which has been operating since the late 1960s.
Both plants use electricity for operating machinery and cooling milk, while heat is required for the treatment of fresh products, as well as washing and heating.
Adven has been providing energy as a service for Valio at the Riihimäki site since 2003. The biofuel plant was commissioned by the company in 2009.
“In food production, security of energy supply is very important,” said Jussi Hirvonen, Adven’s key account manager. “Supplementing the current steam boilers with an electric boiler is an energy-efficient and reliable solution for Valio’s production.”
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest technology news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
