Lead the whey

Devon-based cheese maker Parkham Farms has slashed its utility bill by installing a new system that recovers heat from hot whey (a liquid by-product of cheese production) and re-uses it at the start of the cheese-making process.

The technology is not novel - a large, complex heat exchanger, water tanks and a lot of pipework - but the cost savings are considerable, said Moody Systems, which installed the system. Md Adam Archer said: "It's surprising how many cheese makers are letting the heat from whey disappear into the atmosphere. Parkham is using it to heat water which is used to create steam for the pasteuriser. Every project is different but you could get a payback from something like this within 12 months. We're talking to several other cheese firms about this now."

The system had reduced fossil fuel use at Parkham by 35%, said owner Peter Willes.