Dairy plants need to use clean water for hygiene and health reasons, so, especially in dairies making traditional cheeses such as Grana Padano and Provolone, the use of water resources is usually quite high.
REDUCING THE USE OF WATER RESOURCES
In order to reduce water consumption Fattorie Cremona, since 2015, has implemented a series of actions with the precise aim of limiting the use of this important resource.
In just four years we have reduced water consumption by two thirds. This exceptional result has been achieved by working on several fronts:
Specific training of operators within the production departments
Installation of disposable pipe clamping systems
Modification of the air-conditioning system in certain processing rooms
Transformation of the counter-current cooling systems of the plate exchangers
THESE ACTIONS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED NET WATER CONSUMPTION BUT THE TURNING POINT CAME WITH THE USE OF “WHEY” WATER.
Whey
Whey, the liquid part that remains after the cheese has been made, is 94% water once it has been skimmed off. By concentrating this “cheese-making residue” using reverse osmosis membranes, water is obtained on the one hand and concentrated whey on the other. This water, passing through other membranes, is cleaned of the remaining organic substances and is so clean that it can be reused for the normal rinsing and intermediate washing of the various lines and storage tanks.
Our success – our results
Through these actions, water consumption has been reduced enormously, even beyond expectations. In fact, in just four years, in the Persico Dosimo plant, the largest of the four in which we operate, water consumption has been reduced by 70%, but the aim is to improve further because we know that this resource will be an increasingly important asset for future generations.
REDUCING ENERGY USE AND PROMOTING RENEWABLE ENERGY
Fossil fuels are today the main source of energy for the entire globe. Unfortunately, they are also the main source of greenhouse gases, which are responsible for major environmental phenomena such as the greenhouse effect, acid rain and global warming.
ELECTRICAL ENERGY AND METHANE
The sources currently used by Fattorie Cremona are electricity and methane, a fossil fuel that is much less polluting than oil and coal, since, for the same amount of heat produced, the substances released into the atmosphere by the combustion of this gas are much lower than those of other fuels.
OUR CHOICE
Bisogna anche sottolineare che questo gas, quando brucia, non produce biossido di zolfo, altamente inquinante. In sostanza quindi il metano non è un gas completamente pulito ma rispetto ad altri combustibili fossili è meno inquinante.
Fattorie Cremona impiega energia elettrica e metano sia presso le stalle dei propri Soci che nei 4 stabilimenti dove avviene la trasformazione del latte e il confezionamento dei prodotti.
TO MINIMISE THE USE OF METHANE AND ELECTRICITY FROM EXTERNAL NETWORKS FATTORIE CREMONA AND ITS MEMBERS USE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS:
Through this system Fattorie Cremona, considering the electricity produced from renewable sources at the farms of its members, is able to produce far more electricity than it consumes.
Photovoltaics
Biogas
High efficiency cogeneration with heat recovery
