Wiseman’s £1.3m investment will cut gas use 50pc
The UK dairy processor is investing in a new “state of the art” refrigeration system at its Trafford Park Dairy in Manchester.
Efficient at cooling
The new refrigeration system is very efficient at cooling, allowing for the recovery of heat previously lost through the cooling towers, a spokesperson for the company told DairyReporter.com.
The system generates significant heat, which the heat pump then uses to generate hot water. This is used in the process of pasteurising the milk, reducing the company’s requirement for gas and water, he explained.
Steam generated by gas powered boilers was previously used in the pasteurisation process but is no longer needed.
Wiseman said evaporative condensers will be used only as back up, which means the site is also reducing its water usage by around 200,000 litres per week.
“One of the key aspects of our five year sustainability strategy is reducing our usage of resources including gas and water,” said managing director Billy Keane.
“These savings at Manchester will help move the company towards the targets of reducing water use by 25 per cent and gas use by 30 per cent by 2015, improving our environmental performance and our operating efficiency.”
Reverse osmosis plant
This is not the first time the dairy processor has invested in boosting the eco-credentials of its factories.
Earlier this year, Robert Wiseman Dairies installed a reverse osmosis plant at its Bridgwater facility that will purify water and re-use it in the dairy.
The new technology will help Wiseman save 200,000 litres of water a day, claimed the company.
While reverse osmosis technology is widely used to clean up waste water so that it can be safely poured down the drain or to reclaim milk solids from waste water for cheese/milk powder production, the Bridgwater plant enables the treated water to be re-used as food-grade for cleaning.