Arla Foods installs heat pumps at Danish milk powder plant

For the first time, Arla Foods has installed electric heat pump technology at a milk powder plant – AKAFA in Svenstrup, Denmark. Although Arla already uses heat pumps at several dairies, this is the first time the technology has been scaled to meet the more demanding requirements of spray drying, the company says. The move reduces annual emissions by more than 1,500 tons of CO₂.

“This is a milestone in reducing emissions from our supply chain. Spray drying has long been one of the most challenging processes to electrify, and by overcoming this challenge we are taking a groundbreaking step towards a more sustainable dairy,” says Line Brandt Pedersen, director of supply chain sustainability at Arla Foods.

Spray drying, which is used to produce milk powder, is one of the most energy-intensive processes in dairy production. Converting liquid milk into powder requires temperatures at a level where most electric heat pumps cannot deliver stable performance.

Unlike conventional electric heat pumps that use steam or water for heating, the new heat pump at AKAFA uses carbon dioxide for both heating and cooling. This enables efficient operation even at high temperatures of up to 120º Celsius. Compared to the previous model, the new heat pump delivers a reduction in emissions of more than 1,500 tons of CO₂ per year.

“This achievement is the result of many years of close collaboration with our technology partner before it was ready to be installed at full scale at AKAFA. And with the good results we are seeing, we will now explore the potential to roll out the technology more broadly across our production,” says Brandt Pedersen.

Arla Foods has a Science Based Targets Initiative-approved target of -63% in scope 1+2 by 2030, compared to 2015. So far, Arla has achieved a reduction of 37 percentage points, and investments in energy efficiency and electrification are expected to deliver a further 18 percentage points towards the goal, it says.

“Electrification of our supply chain is undoubtedly an important part of achieving our goals. It requires innovative technology, upskilling our employees and of course investments, but as the heat pump at AKAFA shows, sustainability and performance can go hand in hand,” Brandt Pedersen notes.

In recent years, Arla Foods has invested more than DKK 600 million (€80.3 million) in in electrifying its dairies in Denmark, and further projects in the UK and Germany are also underway.