Lancashire cheese producer, Dewlay, is set to become the first cheese making dairy in the UK to be powered by renewable energy with the installation of a £126 million (EUR146.8m) wind turbine at its Garstang site. The family-run business confirmed that it plans to have the wind turbine fully operational by October of this year. It will be erected on Dewlay’s own 18 acre green field site behind its cheese manufacturing and packaging facility.

Commenting on the news, operational director, Nick Kenyon says: “The dairy industry accounts for a high proportion of the country’s carbon emissions and we are confident that the wind turbine will reduce our own emissions by 2,260 tonnes per year. We see this as just another step on our journey to reduce our carbon footprint and become a more sustainable manufacturer.”

Dairy UK has given its full backing to the plans. Environmental manager Fergus McReynolds adds: “We hope to see more moves towards renewable energy in the future, as farmers and processors work to meet ambitious green targets set out in the Milk Roadmap.

“As part of the Milk Roadmap, by 2015 10% of non-transport energy used by large processors in the sector will come from renewable sources, or combined heat and power systems. We are also aiming for energy use to continue to fall, as well as water use, waste to landfill and greenhouse gas emissions. The dairy industry is making milk greener.”