Donegal dairy plant cuts costs by €347,000
Aurivo followed SEAI's EXEED Certified Standard to implement energy efficiency measures for its dairy plant, which has been in operation since the eighties.
Key Achievements
First plant in Ireland
to use heat pump generated water at 80 degrees
8% decrease
in electricity usage on site
The Project
Aurivo Consumer Foods has been in operation since the 1980s and produces 120 million litres of milk a year for customers throughout Ireland.
In 2015, with support from SEAI, the team decided to look at how they could make their Donegal plant more energy efficient. The scope of the project encompassed all electrical and thermal energy used for the separation, pasteurisation, homogenisation and storage of bulk liquid milk and cream at Aurivo Consumer Foods in Killygordon.
First they had to collect data, measure energy consumption and see what improvements they could deliver. The team reviewed its pasteurisation process with a goal to reducing the thermal loads within the plant.
Old process for pasteurisation
The previous process used an oil-fired steam boiler for heating, and an electric chiller for cooling. The electric chiller rejected the waste heat from the pasteurisation process.
New process for pasteurisation
The new process captures this waste heat before it is rejected. This waste heat is used as the energy source for a new heat pump system, which has been designed to deliver the required heat for milk pasteurisation.
Aurivo is now the first plant in Ireland to use heat pump generated water at 80 degrees.
The project resulted in the installation of a new modern processing plant to include pasteurisation, separation and standardisation with the heating provided from a heat pump incorporated with the refrigeration system.
"Being EXEED certified is very important for Aurivo. To make your company sustainable, this is the method and the model to use," - Marty Dervin, Aurivo Consumer Foods.
Key Results
The dairy plant has made a significant impact and commitment to the climate, reducing their carbon emissions by 80% (780 tonnes) annually, and has seen an 8% decrease in electricity usage on site. This project has reduced Oil consumption from this process by approx. 85%.
As a member of Origin Green, Aurivo works with its farmers to reach sustainability targets.
"Reducing the carbon footprint from dairy farming is central to our strategy and how our farmers run their businesses with respect for the environment." Marty Dervin, Aurivo Consumer Foods.
EXEED certified
EXEED certification was a key milestone in the development of Aurivo's maturing Energy Management System with the aim that all future significant energy management projects will achieve EXEED certification.
"Being EXEED certified is very important for Aurivo. To make your company sustainable, this is the method and the model to use," says Marty Dervin, Aurivo Consumer Foods.
EXEED can be used by organisations as a catalyst to drive innovation throughout a production process, which can yield additional non energy benefits to the organisation.
EED Expert
Aurivo appointed Optien Ltd as their Energy Efficient Design (EED) Expert for this project. They were very happy with the EED service provided by Richard Morrison and Colin Donohue.
What's next?
Aurivo has identified additional energy opportunities to reduce fossil fuel and electricity consumption onsite. It plans to roll out LED lighting to 32 of its stores nationwide and introduce Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) to replace the old boiler in Ballaghaderreen.
Become EXEED Certified