Arla Foods cuts spray dryer CO₂ with GEA AddCool® system

GEA AddCool® installation cuts CO₂ emissions associated with the operation of a spray dryer plant by 1,500 tons per year at Arla’s milk powder factory in Svenstrup, Denmark.

Spray drying is one of the most energy-intensive processes in dairy production – and a big contributor to CO₂ emissions. At Arla’s milk powder factory AKAFA in Svenstrup, Denmark, the challenge was clear: decarbonize without disrupting production or profits. To solve the challenge, a collaborative partnership between Arla and GEA was formed.

Together, the partners have achieved a world first: the integration of GEA’s AddCool® high-temperature heat pump system into an operational spray dryer. The result is a 59% reduction in natural gas use for heating of primary air, cutting 1,500 tons of CO₂ emissions in the first year of operations.

The challenge: significantly and profitably reduce CO₂ emissions in spray drying

As a longstanding GEA customer, it was straightforward to organize a joint investigation into possible options for decarbonizing the plant with the Arla team. This was carried out by means of a holistic energy audit, which was conducted in 2018. The challenge of reducing CO₂ emissions by means of profitable investment was evident from the subsequent analysis, however the findings also presented less obvious opportunities to the partnership that would prove to be impactful.

The solution: integration of a tailor-made high-temperature heat pump system

Having identified energy consumption as an area of significant importance, a highly focused team of GEA and Arla experts worked closely to design a tailor-made solution which could achieve outstanding reductions of natural gas consumption and therefore CO₂ emissions. Through a combined heating and cooling process delivered by a high-temperature heat pump system, the GEA AddCool® solution at Arla’s Svenstrup site became the first installation of its kind in a dairy production plant globally.

As GEA designed both the heat pump and the integrated heating and cooling concept, Arla received stringent performance guarantees over six years. An independent energy advisor, selected by Arla, validated the design and guarantees ahead of installation and after commissioning the system passed its site performance test on the first attempt.

Its performance is being continuously monitored through the GEA InsightPartner® solution and is on track to deliver the promised savings within the forecasted payback time.

The results: outstanding decrease of CO₂ emissions and operating costs in spray drying

The GEA AddCool® system provided several benefits to Arla:

• Reduced demand of natural gas for heating of primary air of 670,000 Nm3 per year, equal to a 59% reduction compared to the previous operation. This results in the yearly abatement of 1,500 tons per year of CO2 emissions while operating with electricity from renewable energy sources.
• Electricity savings on the existing chiller installation, achieved by providing 430 kW of useful cooling while delivering high-temperature heat to the dryer.
• Reduced load and noise from the existing cooling tower, achieved by precooling the wastewater from the system.
• Clear overview of the current and historical performance of the system by means of GEA InsightPartner monitoring solution.

The future: Resource efficient spray-drying for lower carbon footprint

At Arla’s Svenstrup site, the AddCool® integration shows that meaningful reduction of CO₂ and dependable operations can advance together when expertise and partnership align. Building on this result, both Arla and GEA are exploring a phased rollout of additional spray-drying plants at the AKAFA site, where the business case and emissions impact are strongest – reflecting GEA’s commitment to engineering for a better world.