Kraft Completes Alternative Energy Initiatives
In line with a vested interest in sustainability, Kraft Foods announced completion of waste-to-energy projects at two manufacturing facilities in New York.
The plants in Lowville and Campbell, N.Y. are using bio-methane from on-site waste treatment systems to replace 30 percent to 35 percent of each plant's annual natural gas purchases in a year. Whey, one of the most significant waste byproducts from cheese plants, is the source of the alternative energy, which is created when whey is treated in each plant's anaerobic digester system.
"Whey disposal has long been a challenge," says Steve Yucknut, vice president, Sustainability, Kraft Foods. "Our facilities have previously used strategies such as concentrating the whey to reduce volume and finding outlets for it to be used as animal feed, or for fertilizer on environmentally approved farm fields. Both methods required transporting the whey offsite. Now, we're reducing the associated carbon dioxide emissions that are part of transporting waste, discharging cleaner wastewater from our on-site treatment systems, and creating enough alternative energy to heat more than 2,600 homes in the Northeast."
This project contributes to Kraft's sustainability goals around energy, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and waste reduction. The company has set goals to reduce:
-- Energy usage by 25 percent
-- Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent
-- Manufacturing plant waste by 15 percent
The Lowville digester creates enough biogas to heat around 1,000 homes; the Campbell system generates enough to heat more than 1,600 homes. Both systems have been designed, built and operated for Kraft by Ecovation Inc., now part of Ecolab. The Lowville waste treatment system came online in February 2008. Campbell's first digester was built in 2003, and has been expanded five-fold. It is expected to be fully operational by the end of September.
Kraft's Lowville plant, which makes Philadelphia cream cheese, has approximately 330 employees. Kraft's Campbell plant makes Polly-O Italian- style cheeses and Kraft and Polly-O string cheese and employs more than 400.
The plants in Lowville and Campbell, N.Y. are using bio-methane from on-site waste treatment systems to replace 30 percent to 35 percent of each plant's annual natural gas purchases in a year. Whey, one of the most significant waste byproducts from cheese plants, is the source of the alternative energy, which is created when whey is treated in each plant's anaerobic digester system.
"Whey disposal has long been a challenge," says Steve Yucknut, vice president, Sustainability, Kraft Foods. "Our facilities have previously used strategies such as concentrating the whey to reduce volume and finding outlets for it to be used as animal feed, or for fertilizer on environmentally approved farm fields. Both methods required transporting the whey offsite. Now, we're reducing the associated carbon dioxide emissions that are part of transporting waste, discharging cleaner wastewater from our on-site treatment systems, and creating enough alternative energy to heat more than 2,600 homes in the Northeast."
This project contributes to Kraft's sustainability goals around energy, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and waste reduction. The company has set goals to reduce:
-- Energy usage by 25 percent
-- Energy-related carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent
-- Manufacturing plant waste by 15 percent
The Lowville digester creates enough biogas to heat around 1,000 homes; the Campbell system generates enough to heat more than 1,600 homes. Both systems have been designed, built and operated for Kraft by Ecovation Inc., now part of Ecolab. The Lowville waste treatment system came online in February 2008. Campbell's first digester was built in 2003, and has been expanded five-fold. It is expected to be fully operational by the end of September.
Kraft's Lowville plant, which makes Philadelphia cream cheese, has approximately 330 employees. Kraft's Campbell plant makes Polly-O Italian- style cheeses and Kraft and Polly-O string cheese and employs more than 400.