FDBusiness.com

Arla Foods has announced that it will establish the world’s first zero carbon milk processing facility at Aston Clinton, Aylesbury, in southern England. The site, which is due to be operational in 2012, will also be the world’s first billion litre liquid milk dairy and will entail investment of over £150 million.

During the land search, Aylesbury emerged as the front-runner giving the best overall logistics solution to service Arla’s customers, when considering both raw milk collection from farm and finished product to the retailers. It also provides the best access to a densely populated area.

When it announced its intention to build the new facility in November 2009, Arla referred to it as being the most ‘environmentally advanced in the world’ and has now confirmed its plans to establish the dairy as a zero carbon operation. Throughout the design stage, the potential impact on the environment of each element of the dairy has been evaluated and the best available construction techniques, advanced process technologies and cutting edge renewable energy opportunities will be utilised.

Peter Lauritzen, chief executive of Arla Foods UK.

“Once again, Arla is taking the lead in setting the future standards of the dairy industry. Being zero carbon will put the new dairy in a class of its own, demonstrating our environmental responsibilities and our ambition of becoming the UK’s number one dairy company,” says Peter Lauritzen, chief executive of Arla Foods UK.

Arla is already working with the local authority to agree the scope of the planning application and is in the process of finalising the design specifications. The next step is to appoint contractors to work on the project. It is anticipated that about 500 production, distribution and administration jobs will be created at the site.