Dairy line upgrades promise deeper emissions cuts

Greenlogue/AP

Dairy processors can cut greenhouse gas emissions from liquid dairy lines by as much as 49% by modernising existing equipment rather than replacing entire production systems, a Tetra Pak assessment has found, pointing to a faster route for plants under pressure to lower costs, reduce waste and meet climate targets.

The analysis, released from Lausanne, examined upgrades to chilled and ambient liquid dairy processing lines and found that available technologies could deliver average greenhouse gas reductions of 47%, alongside a 45% drop in water use and a 57% reduction in product losses to wastewater. The study covered pasteurised milk, fermented yoghurt, indirect UHT milk and direct UHT milk lines, comparing 2019 best-practice systems with upgraded configurations modelled for 2025 implementation.

The findings are significant for dairy producers because they suggest that emissions cuts do not depend solely on greenfield plants or large-scale asset replacement. Many processors operate lines that remain commercially viable but consume high levels of heat, electricity and water. Upgrading those assets with heat pumps, improved filtration, water recovery, automation and more efficient processing designs can reduce operating costs while helping companies respond to tougher environmental scrutiny.

The assessment was reviewed by the Carbon Trust for its greenhouse gas methodology and used an avoided-emissions approach that accounts for the emissions generated by the solutions themselves. Tetra Pak said the results vary by geography, energy mix, line type and site conditions, meaning the figures should not be treated as a universal benchmark for every dairy plant. Even so, the scale of potential savings strengthens the case for targeted capital expenditure at a time when food manufacturers are trying to balance sustainability commitments with tighter margins.

A modelled global roll-out of such upgrades across dairy processing lines could save up to 12.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent a year, roughly comparable to removing about three million cars from the road. Water-saving and recovery systems could reduce water use in dairy production lines by as much as 455 million cubic metres annually. Those figures are particularly relevant in regions where food processing is competing with households, farming and industry for constrained water supplies.

Processing emissions represent only one part of dairy’s climate footprint, with farm-level methane, feed production and manure management accounting for much of the sector’s impact. However, manufacturing plants remain a practical intervention point because processors can directly control equipment choices, cleaning systems, energy sourcing and product recovery. That makes line modernisation an attractive option for companies seeking measurable gains without waiting for broader agricultural reform.

The technologies identified include electrically powered heat pumps that can replace or reduce fossil-fuel boilers and chillers, OneStep systems that combine multiple processing stages for UHT milk and yoghurt, and membrane filtration that recovers product and water from process streams. Cleaning-in-place recovery systems can also reduce detergent, water and heat use by reusing suitable flows instead of sending them to wastewater.

Dairy companies face a difficult operating backdrop as energy costs, raw material volatility, labour shortages and regulatory pressure affect margins across major markets. Executives in Europe and the United States have placed cost management, operational efficiency and selective sustainability spending high on the agenda, with many companies prioritising projects that deliver both emissions reductions and payback through lower utility bills or reduced waste.

Tetra Pak’s findings also reflect a wider shift in food manufacturing from long-term climate pledges towards verifiable plant-level improvements. Investors and customers are demanding clearer evidence that decarbonisation programmes reduce emissions rather than simply reshape reporting boundaries. Technologies that cut steam demand, water consumption and product loss can be measured more directly than many supply-chain initiatives, giving processors a clearer basis for capital planning.

The commercial opportunity is substantial for equipment suppliers, automation firms and engineering companies serving the dairy sector. Rising demand for protein-rich foods, yoghurt, milk-based beverages and value-added dairy products is expected to keep processing capacity under pressure, especially in markets with expanding middle-class consumption. Producers seeking higher throughput may increasingly combine capacity upgrades with energy-efficiency investments rather than treating sustainability as a separate project.

via Greenlogue.com

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