Ausnutria produces baby and infant formula made from goat’s milk. At its factory in Heerenveen, this is done without the use of gas. The factory, which has been operational since September last year, runs entirely on electricity. The production processes are powered by 100% renewable energy. The availability of the Dutch SDE++ subsidy was the deciding factor in the investment

The heat pumps used by Ausnutria in Heerenveen generate exceptionally high temperatures, up to over 92 degrees Celsius. The Energy and Climate Innovation Demonstration (DEI+) subsidy enabled Ausnutria to make this additional investment. “This allows us to save 40% in energy compared to a conventional natural gas-fired installation,” explains project leader Jelte Smits.

Ausnutria encountered a number of challenges during the electrification of the production process. “The main one was the new electrical connection,” says Smits. After a period of fine-tuning, the electrical connection now meets the requirements. During the design phase, Ausnutria optimised the production process so that the company can save 40% on energy. “That saving is necessary because electricity is considerably more expensive than natural gas,” says Smits. “Because of that price difference, we cannot manage without a subsidy.

The dairy company aims to achieve energy savings of 50% to 52%. Additional savings will be achieved in the spray dryer. Ausnutria intends to replace the electric heaters that currently heat the air from 85 to 185 degrees Celsius with heat pumps capable of handling these high temperatures.