Dairy co-operative Fonterra has commissioned a new dryer at its Lichfield’s site in South Waikato, New Zealand.
The 30 metric tonne dryer can process an additional 4.4 million litres of milk each day into milk powder which Fonterra would export to global markets.
Expected to run at full capacity soon, the new dryer will help Fonterra export its dairy nutrition to over 20 global markets.
Fonterra chief operating officer Robert Spurway said: “The capacity these assets give us takes the pressure off during the peak of the season, meaning we have more freedom to prioritise milk into higher returning products.
“Our goal is to strike a balance in our assets that enables us to switch between products quickly to meet demand changes in global markets, push the pace on production when milk volumes dictate, and ultimately deliver the best product mix to generate returns.”
Along with the dryer, Fonterra has also set up a new distribution center along with a wastewater treatment plant at its milk powder plant.
With a storage capacity of 40,000 metric tonnes of whole milk powder, the distribution centre gives is expected to offer a cost effective infrastructure to the company by reducing the number of trucks. It also has an in-built rail siding which enables milk powder filled containers to be shipped directly to port.
Fonterra said that in line with its commitment towards environmental sustainability, the new biological wastewater treatment turns dairy waste into fertilizer. The byproduct is irrigated onto neigbouring farmland to help pastures grow.
Recently, the dairy company announced an investment of $4.3m in Australia for its Wynard plant in Tasmania to increase cheese and whey production.
Fonterra had an incident last Friday at Edendale in New Zealand when a raw milk silo collapsed while damaging a pipebridge to cause an explosive sound.
The company said that its employees at the location were safe and that there would be a temporary impact on milk collection in the Southland region following the incident.
