Modernization and Sustainability: The New Drying Tower at the Walhorn Dairy
At Lactalis Ingredients, we are committed every day to improving our tools to ensure high-quality dairy products and meet the specific needs of our customers.
Commitment to excellence
Founded in 1933, the Walhorn factory, the only Belgian factory of the Lactalis Group, processes 320 million liters of milk annually into UHT milk and cream, as well as milk powder.
Between 2021 and 2023, more than 16 million euros were invested in this site to renovate its industrial infrastructure and increase the performance and quality of its drying activity.
We have thus undertaken the complete renovation of the drying tower at the Walhorn factory, involving the separation of technical and high hygiene areas. This separation ensures a secure and controlled environment, allowing us to meet the rigorous expectations of our clients and consumers. Additionally, the implementation of several energy recovery systems has enabled the new tower to reduce its energy consumption by 20% compared to the old one.
Reducing environmental impact
In parallel, more than 5 million euros have been invested over the past four years to reduce the site’s environmental footprint. Aiming to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (scope 1 and 2) by 25% by 2025, the Walhorn factory has been equipped with 4800 m² of solar panels, generating 900 MWh/year and reducing the site’s CO2 emissions by 450 tons per year.
Furthermore, this industrial site has a cogeneration system associated with photovoltaic panels, producing about 45% of its electricity from natural gas. Starting in 2022, this natural gas has gradually been replaced by biogas through the use of Guaranteed Origin Labels (LGO), reducing the site’s emissions by 2180 tons in 2023, or 17% of total emissions.
Meeting the needs of the food industry
The Walhorn site produces skimmed milk powder and whole milk powder, offering tailored solutions to the needs of food industry players to produce various dairy products, ice creams, chocolates, or other bakery and pastry products. The investments aimed at modernizing the drying tower now allow the Walhorn factory to meet increasingly demanding specifications.
Discover in this film how this ambitious and environmentally friendly renovation demonstrates our commitment to excellence and sustainability.
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