Situation

FrieslandCampina, established in 1871, is one of the largest dairy companies in the world. The company supplies consumer products such as milk, yoghurt, cheese, infant nutrition, and desserts, as well as products for the professional market, including cream and butter products, and ingredients and semi-finished products for manufacturers of infant nutrition, the food industry, and the pharmaceutical sector.

One of their cheese factories is located in Bedum, Groningen, where, alongside cheese, dairy powder is produced for products like infant nutrition. As part of the sustainability drive in its production process, FrieslandCampina aims to replace its natural gas-fired heat sources, mainly steam, with a sustainable heat source.

​Solution

FrieslandCampina commissioned KH Engineering to conduct a feasibility study on the sustainability of the existing process. Various aspects were considered in this study. First, KH Engineering’s engineers fully mapped out the process. Through a data-driven approach, all heat flows of the various production processes were made visible and processed into a thermographic model. This study revealed several process efficiency opportunities, one of which could be directly implemented by FrieslandCampina.

Next, KH Engineering examined the possibilities for replacing the heat demand. Electrification through heat pumps emerged as the most promising option. In cheese production, both heating and cooling are required. Electric heat pumps offer the ability to recover and upgrade heat while simultaneously providing cooling capacity. This results in energy savings and a reduction in CO₂ emissions.

An important part of the study was analysing the heat and cooling demand to determine the appropriate heat pump capacity and buffer capacity. With a buffer, heat that is not needed at the moment can be temporarily stored and used later when there is a demand for heat again. This buffer will be realised in the form of several stratification tanks, where different layers of water at varying temperatures can be stored. This way, the desired flexibility in heat demand can be better managed.

In addition to the feasibility study, KH Engineering provided a conceptual design, a cost estimate, a process flow diagram, equipment sizing, and a plot plan.