Biogas vs. dried whey
Dairy production waste is whey. It is utilized in one of the following ways: discharge to filtration fields or into sewage, whey drying, processing whey into biogas.
Methods of disposal
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Discharge to filtration fields or into sewage
This environmentally problematic method of disposal has been abandoned by enterprises in favor of the next two.
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Whey drying
Drying equipment is cheaper than a biogas plant. However, in the case of evaporation or vacuum drying, the dairy incurs additional energy costs. The final product (whey powder) is in demand but faces falling prices due to many dairies acquiring drying equipment.
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Biogas plant
Nowadays, many companies want to be environmentally friendly. Processing whey into biogas allows a diary to transition away from natural gas or fuel oil, so a dairy’s operating costs can be reduced. For whey processing vertical CSTR technology is suitable.
