Luxlait Awards Tetra Pak Greenfield Dairy Plant Contract
17 April 2008 10:16
Tetra Pak, one of the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions providers, and Luxlait, the largest dairy in Luxemburg, have announced plans to invest more than €100 million in a new state-of-the-art dairy, to support Luxlait’s growing dairy business.
In November 2007, Luxlait Association Agricole contracted Tetra Pak Processing Systems as a key partner in the development of its new, state-of-the-art greenfield dairy at Roost, near Bissen in Luxemburg - which will have a key role in supporting Luxlait's future dairy operations strategy.
With a planned annual intake of 120 million litres of raw milk, this new facility will be a strategic replacement for Luxlait's existing production capacity. The new plant broke ground in mid 2007 and is scheduled to start operations in the second quarter of 2009.
"The main challenges that we are facing are quality assurance and food safety," explains Gerard Reslinger, Industrial Director at Luxlait. "These are points we cannot compromise on. Our second focus is on operating costs and flexibility. That is why it is interesting for us to work with companies like Tetra Pak. It allows us to benefit from a reliable partner and the latest trends in technology, together with proven, high capacity solutions, deep know-how and long experience."
Tetra Pak's unequalled technical knowledge allows it to offer globally proven processing and packaging solutions, at competitive prices, with short lead times and performance guarantees that ensure its customers, including Luxlait, achieve high quality products and strict levels of food safety, higher efficiency, undisturbed productivity, and lowest possible environmental impact.
Waste and energy management will have a high priority in the new plant development. Goals set include a minimum reduction of 38% in drinking water usage and a reduction of 25% in use of fossil energies. Waste water must be treated before it is released it into the environment.
"Environmental issues are very important. They are so today, and will be even more so tomorrow," Gerard Reslinger comments. "The impact of environmental values on costs is becoming ever greater, because the cost of energy is increasing, as is the price tag on waste processing and disposal. It is absolutely necessary to take this into account when calculating of the cost of our products."
The new plant will incorporate a large number of Tetra Pak dairy processing solutions, covering operations from raw milk intake to package filling, and will include a high-level automation solution based on Tetra PlantMaster. Tetra PlantMaster is an innovative and modular plant automation solution based on open industry standards and Tetra Pak production know-how.
"The combination of advanced information technology and comprehensive application knowledge in Tetra PlantMaster enables a high degree of functionality, future scalability, customisation and secures full traceability," says Ron De Keersmaeker, Commercial Director of Tetra Pak Benelux.
"Looking into the future, it is very important to us not to only consider a factory that will be starting production in 2009, but that we will have a factory that will last maybe 20 to 30 years," says Gerard Reslinger, and continues: "That's why it is so essential to have open systems – as technologies develop and market conditions change we want to have the possibility to develop the system."
Flexibility is the name of the game for Luxlait, and most of its dairy products are found in the 'value' market segment. Pasteurised and UHT milk, yoghurt, cream, buttermilk, functional drinks and much more will be produced in the new plant.
"Markets are evolving and we must be able to evolve in accordance with the markets, but at the same time we also have to be able to answer to our customers' daily requests. In the fresh dairy market, business varies depending on the season, different product quantity needs and even depending on the day of the week," concludes Gerard Reslinger.
For more information on this company:
Tetra Pak Processing Systems - Total Production Solutions for the Food Manufacturing Industry
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