Arla Foods Ingredients invests €8M to reduce natural gas consumption

Arla Foods Ingredients has invested €8.3 million (US$9.6 million) into a new heating system for a production tower (Tower 4) at its Danmark Protein plant in Videbæk, in a step to reduce its CO2 emissions. It will generate an annual saving of 2,500 metric tons of CO2. 

The investment is aimed at reducing natural gas consumption equivalent to the heating demand of more than 900 households, says the company. It details that a future investment in Videbæk is already planned for its Tower 5, which would double this figure, saving 5,200 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.

At the Videbæk plant, Arla Foods Ingredients processes whey into a variety of ingredients and protein products. With the new project, the tower will be able to switch between heat from the plant’s existing steam system and a new electric heater, which it will be able to operate on for 23% of the time, according to calculations by the company.

“This is one of those investments where we simultaneously improve operational reliability, strengthen security of supply, and reduce our climate impact. The fact that we can achieve such a large reduction through a single solution highlights the potential of electrifying our production,” says Mogens Bøgh Pedersen, director of the Danmark Protein plant.

Reducing emissions

Arla Foods Ingredients says that being able to switch between the steam system and electricity creates a strong financial business case while supporting the Danish power grid in a more sustainable way.

The switch allows the company to use electricity when wind and solar power drive prices down, and when the prices go up, it can reduce electricity consumption.

Arla Food Ingredients says the project is a significant part of its strategy to electrify production. It forecasts that beyond providing greater flexibility in energy consumption and enhanced reliability, it also brings opportunities for the future.

“In addition to delivering substantial CO2e savings, this investment also represents a very strong business case. It is therefore a solution that we will naturally seek to scale across our other sites,” says Paul van Rooij, VP, Supply Chain, Arla Foods Ingredients.

In another CO2e emission-reducing move at the Videbaek plant last year, the company installed an electric boiler — the company’s largest and first at the facility — expected to cut annual CO2 emissions by 3,500 metric tons, with further reductions once fully operational. The boiler, replacing gas boilers, aims to help the company achieve its goal of reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% by 2030.