News Dairy
FrieslandCampina wants more profit from whey
FrieslandCampina has kicked off renovations at two locations in Friesland that will help it make more money from cheese whey, in a more climate- and environmentally friendly manner.
In total, FrieslandCampina is investing €50 million in the modernization and expansion of capacities in Workum and Gerkesklooster.
For the expansion of the whey production site in Workum, €30 million is allocated. With this investment, it will be possible to process all whey from the cheese factory there into high-quality WPC products. The project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026.
An important part of the expansion is the replacement of a fifty-year-old gas-fired evaporation installation with a new filtration installation that can do more and work cleaner. The new installation annually saves 6,800 tons of CO2 and 350,000 cubic meters of drinking water.
For the adjustments in Gerkesklooster, €20 million is allocated. Two projects are being combined: the optimization of whey processing for infant nutrition and the construction of a new milk reception. After the completion of the first project by the end of 2025, more high-quality whey will be suitable as an ingredient for infant nutrition in the factory in Borculo. The second project in Gerkesklooster involves replacing the outdated milk reception with a new one. It consumes less water and requires much less maintenance. The new milk reception is expected to be operational by mid-2026.
