MAN Energy Solutions builds an industrial-scale heat pump that produces steam without gas. It produces steam to dry milk ingredients on a dairy farm in New Zealand.
The technology is powered by renewable sources such as solar, hydro, geothermal and wind power, according to MAN’s statement. It produces steam-dried milk ingredients for Frontera, a dairy cooperative based in New Zealand.
“After integration into Fonterra’s production infrastructure, the heat pump was able to produce more than 30 tons of process steam per hour, equivalent to a thermal output of 25 MW,” MAN said in a statement, without providing technical details. The milk farm’s CO2 production could be reduced by 60,000 tons per year.
In the first phase of the project, a technical study will be carried out, where the integration of the heat pump solution into the cooperative’s existing milk powder production will be developed. This study is expected to be completed by the end of April 2023, according to MAN. The findings are then used to design a heat pump system at one of Fonterra’s production facilities.
“As Fonterra is the world’s third largest producer of milk ingredients, we look forward to supporting their carbon footprint with our expertise and state-of-the-art technology solutions,” said Uwe Lauber, CEO of MAN Energy Solutions.
The milk producer announced last year that it would install a biomass boiler to replace a coal boiler at one of its locations, which is expected to start up at the end of November 2023. Investing in heat pumps using renewable energy sources is part of its commitment. to move away from coal in their production operations.
