Fonterra upgrades its Edgecumbe site to capture lactose that was previously unable to be extracted from the site’s waste stream by creatively applying existing filtration technology.
While the project will cost US$8 million, it will double the amount of lactose the site is able to recover in a day, reducing the company’s reliance on imported lactose from overseas suppliers and delivering significant and ongoing cost savings.
“Lactose is used mainly in standardizing milk powder, and the additional volumes of lactose we’re now able to capture will be essential in supplying the new dryer opening soon in Lichfield – one of our most strategically important builds,” says director New Zealand manufacturing, Mark Leslie.
“We have found a creative way to use existing technology that will bring great results, save us cash and deliver real value for our farmers.”
Not only will the upgrade generate savings for the Co-operative, by removing even more solids from the site’s waste water it will also reduce Fonterra Edgecumbe’s environmental footprint.
