Southland’s Mataura Valley Milk processing plant is now fully electric following the replacement of its coal-fired boiler.
The installation of a new high-pressure electrode boiler eliminates about 22,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent Scope 1 emissions from the site annually. The site produces a range of dairy nutritional products.
The a2 Milk Company has a 75% shareholding in Mataura Valley Milk (MVM) alongside China Animal Husbandry Group, which has a 25% shareholding.
Chief legal and sustainability officer and company secretary of The a2 Milk Company, Jaron McVicar, said the replacement boiler is a significant milestone for the a2 Milk Company and part of a group-wide sustainability programme to address climate change.
MVM general manager Paddy Mc Myler said the project allows the plant to operate more cleanly, to be free from coal dust, ash and combustion and – being fuelled by electricity – offers potential for flexibility gains.
Energy contributes around 40% of New Zealand’s total gross emissions and process heat makes up a third of all energy use.
