Arla Foods’ Spray Drying Plant Goes Sustainable with GEA’s AddCool
Arla Foods, a world-leading manufacturer of dairy products, is set to reduce its carbon footprint in its Svenstrup facility in Denmark by over 50%. The company is adopting GEA’s AddCool heat pump technology, a sustainable solution that halves a plant’s consumption of fossil fuels and minimizes its accompanying carbon footprint.
In March 2023, GEA received an order from Arla Foods AKAFA to install the GEA AddCool solution at its site in Svenstrup, Denmark, with the objective of producing milk powder using a more sustainable process. The spray dryer, used in conventional dairy powder plants, accounts for up to 70% of the plant’s emissions.
Optimizing energy consumption and reducing the usage of fossil fuels such as natural gas are key priorities for Arla Foods AKAFA. Jens Løkke Ganderup, Operational Support Manager at Arla Foods AKAFA, said, “GEA’s AddCool solution helps us to lower fossil fuel consumption significantly.”
The GEA AddCool system delivers ice water to the existing system, reducing the need for cooling capacity, and boosts the overall efficiency of different systems, making the plant more sustainable. The GEA CO2 heat pump technology recovers waste heat from exhaust air or other plant waste energy streams, upgrades it, and uses it to warm the air in the spray dryer to as much as 120°C before feeding it into the dryer’s conventional heating system.
The project started five years ago when GEA conducted an energy survey at Arla Foods AKAFA, which showed the potential for substantial energy savings from the spray drying plant. Arla Foods AKAFA confirmed these findings via their survey and decided on using GEA AddCool’s technology to reduce its carbon footprint significantly.
Ulrik Lund Jakobsen, CEO of GEA business unit powder & thermal separation technologies, said, “GEA AddCool technology is a milestone in energy savings. We are proud to support Arla Foods in achieving their sustainability goals using our technology. Moreover, this technology marks a significant step forward in our own sustainability strategy, offering ever more energy-efficient products.”
The GEA AddCool system is easy to retrofit in conventional spray drying plants as it operates as an addition to the native spray dryer air heating system without impairing plant throughput, final powder properties, or quality. Additionally, it offers the flexibility of reverting to the original system during routine maintenance, allowing uninterrupted powder production.
The adoption of the GEA AddCool system highlights Arla Foods AKAFA’s efforts towards more sustainable food manufacturing practices and reducing its carbon footprint without compromising the quality and efficiency of its products.
