What happens when a Norwegian start-up, a global dairy giant, and some serious heat pump power come together? You get a cutting-edge solution that’s not only cool but also helping to save the planet—one batch of dairy at a time!
On 3 October 2024, dairy company FrieslandCampina officially unveiled its new Olvondo HighLift heat pump at its plant in Maasdam, Netherlands. The ceremony was attended by Irene Egea Saiz and Martina Battocchio from the European Heat Pump Association. This event wasn’t just about tech—it’s a move toward a more sustainable future.
“Seeing this industrial heat pump in action was impressive. It’s one thing to talk about energy efficiency, but quite another to watch an industrial-scale solution in real life” – commented Martina Battocchio, EHPA’s EU Projects Officer.
“It was great to witness firsthand how industrial heat pumps are supporting decarbonisation in the dairy industry! This isn’t just the future; it’s happening now, and I look forward to seeing more and more heat pump applications transforming the industry.” – added Irene Egea Saiz, EHPA’s EU Projects Manager.
Heat pumps and dairy: who knew they’d make such a great pair?
Back in 2019, these two giants started a conversation that led to the shiny new heat pump featured in this article. In 2020, they began assessing how to make it happen, and by 2024, the heat pumps were humming along—one at 40°C, another at 60°C, an 85°C star, and, of course, the HighLift.
The HighLift steam heat pump, developed by the Norwegian startup Olvondo, isn’t your average piece of factory equipment. This third-generation technology is the first of its kind at FrieslandCampina and promises to reduce carbon emissions by a whopping 1,100 tonnes per year. That’s like taking 240 cars off the road, or, for the dairy folks out there, it’s like saving the emissions of churning out 6 million tubs of yoghurt each week (yes, we calculated).
But wait—EHPA’s got more up its sleeve!
While EHPA was cheering on the Maasdam factory, it’s also involved in the BETTED project, pushing the frontiers of energy-efficient technologies across Europe. You can dig deeper into this new project here.
Earlier this year, EHPA published the Heat Pump Stories series, featuring a case study from Norway’s dairy factory TINE: a redesigned plant to be energy efficient and sustainable with a heat pump and rooftop solar panels, allowing to save around 40% in electricity consumption.
From farm to fridge, discover how heat pumps are powering the future of the dairy industry:
