A new drying tower inaugurated at the Walhorn Plant
On June 20th, the Walhorn plant celebrated the inauguration of its newly installed drying tower and unveiled its 4,800 m² of new photovoltaic panels, implemented in collaboration with the company Enersol.
Walhorn, a historic site in Belgium
Founded in 1933, the Walhorn plant began as a cooperative of local producers seeking to add value to their production. Strategically located at the heart of European markets and endowed with abundant water resources, the plant quickly expanded, adding milk collection, skimming, and pasteurization to its activities, along with two drying towers.
Today, the 120 employees at the Walhorn site process the equivalent of 320 million litres of milk per year in three main activities: the production of UHT milk, UHT cream, and milk powder.
Walhorn has recently invested over 16 million euros in modernizing its industrial facilities to improve the performance of its drying activity, in order to meet increasingly stringent quality standards. The separation between the technical area and the high hygiene area ensures the production of milk powder that meets high sanitary standards, in a secure and rigorously controlled environment.
Additionally, Walhorn is reducing its environmental footprint with further investments of over 5 million euros for regulatory compliance and improved working conditions.
A site committed to the environment
The partnership with Enersol enabled the installation of 4,800 m² of photovoltaic panels in 2023, generating 900 MWh/year and reducing the site’s CO2 emissions by 450 tons, or 3.6% of the site’s total emissions. Since 2018, the Walhorn site has had a cogeneration system to produce about 45% of its electricity from natural gas. Starting in 2022, this natural gas has gradually been replaced by biogas through the use of Guarantees of Origin (GO) labels, reducing the site’s emissions by 2,180 tons in 2023, or 17% of the site’s emissions.
Overall, the implementation of these various actions has allowed the Walhorn site to reduce its CO2 emissions by 20%.
An educational event
The event brought together more than a hundred people, including employees, partners, and local community representatives. Throughout the day, participants had the chance to dive into the world of UHT milk and cream production, guided by employees passionate about their work. They also had the opportunity to visit the levels of the new drying tower, giving them a deeper understanding of the milk powder manufacturing process.
The Walhorn plant embodies innovation while respecting tradition and the environment, proving that a nearly century-old heritage can transform into a sustainable and prosperous future.
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