Fonterra’s new $120m UHT milk processing plant is edging closer to completion with production to commence in March.
The new processing facility, located at Waitoa New Zealand, has taken over 12 months to complete and UHT Operations Manager, Donald Lumsden, said that the new facility will enable the co-operative to meet the growth in global dairy demand.
“This is a very exciting time for Fonterra. The global demand for dairy is growing and we’re now well-positioned to meet this growth with our new state-of-the-art UHT milk processing site at Waitoa," said Lumsden. "The site will enable us to optimise the milk our farmers produce by turning it into high-value consumer products that will meet market demand in Asia.”
The site is currently undergoing water commissioning to ensure that all elements of production are in full working order before processing commences.
“Running water through the processing lines ensures we can vigorously test how the milk and packaging will be processed. It lets us know that the site is ready to begin processing milk,” said Lumsden.
The new site is inclusive of five UHT processing lines designed to process a range of products including UHT white milk and UHT cream. Lumsden says that when the site is in full production by August, it will be capable of producing 100m liters of milk each year.
“The site’s technology means we can produce up to 24,000 milk packs an hour per line, they will be flying off the line,” said Lumsden.