Two operations that consume a lot of water in dairies are cooling and cleaning.
Cooling is primarily accomplished using surface water that is returned to natural waterways via a heat exchanger.
Milk is an easily spoiled ingredient so production hygiene is maintained through cleaning.
Valio favours Cleaning in Place (CIP) over batch cleaning in its efforts to decrease water consumption, and saves on water and chemicals by optimising process equipment CIP and recycling usable water.
The substantial use of water and the high load caused by product residues ending up in waste water make dairies’ waste water a significant environmental risk.
All Valio sites bar one are connected to a municipal waste water purification plant, and especially in small towns Valio’s load is many times that of the town’s.
Valio’s annual environmental goals include both improving energy efficiency and reducing water consumption. These pictures show the Seinäjoki plant’s cleaning centre.
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