It takes a lot of water to secure the highest standards of quality and food safety at Arla Foods Ingredients’ two biggest production plants – Danmark Protein and ARINCO – which operate at neighbouring locations in Denmark. High water consumption also leads to large volumes of wastewater. As both plants expand to meet growing demand, water management is essential.
Investments in technical water
Major investments in a technical water facility today play a central role in our efforts to reduce well water use and wastewater discharge. The facility is placed close to the treatment plant that receives the wastewater discharge from our two production plants and the Arla Foods Nr. Vium dairy.
Operation began in late 2021, when the wastewater treatment plant began sending cleaned wastewater to the facility, where it undergoes further advanced filtration, upgrading it to so-called technical water. At this quality level, the water is suitable for reuse.
Plans for expansion
The initial daily capacity of the plant was 500m3, which was used in the cooling towers at Danmark Protein.
Driven by this positive water saving, the capacity was doubled in 2024 to 1000m3. To optimise use of the additional volumes of technical water, more non-food contact applications are currently being identified.
We are now investigating a further expansion of capacity up to 2000m3 a day. The facility would then cover half of Danmark Protein’s current well-water consumption.
