Danone will invest NZ$40 million towards achieving carbon neutrality as it installs a new biomass boiler at its Nutricia New Zealand facility, which aims to reduce the plant's CO2 emissions by 20,000 tonnes per year.
Danone's Nutricia spray drying plant is located in the Otago region of the South Island, in Balclutha, and processes raw milk into powder for its infant milk formula brands such as Aptamil and Karicare.
The biomass boiler will replace the plant's current gas boiler and aims to be fully operational by 2021. It is expected to be the first carbon neutral plant to serve the New Zealand dairy industry.
“This significant investment, in what we expect to be New Zealand’s first carbon neutral plant of its kind, underscores Danone’s global ‘One Planet. One Health’ vision and the belief that the health of people and planet are interconnected. We share the New Zealand Government’s ambitions in delivering a low-emissions, climate resilient future,” said Danone New Zealand operations director Cyril Marniquet.
“At Danone, we’ve set ourselves an objective of becoming a carbon neutral company across our entire scope – from farm to family – by 2050. It is through key investments like this one that we take a step forward towards reaching this ambition.”
Boilers help to convert milk into dry powder through the application of heat, with around 85 per cent of the Nutricia plant's energy consumption coming from steam production.
Danone's new biomass boiler will be powered by locally sourced, sustainable wood fuels, and will be designed and managed by Veolia.
Danone is currently working to secure a renewable source of energy by 2021 for this specific energy needed during maintenance.
