Fonterra plan to have the refurbishing completed for the start its manufacturing season at Whareroa after spending $20 million (€13.2m) on a water treatment plant and $18 million (€11.88m)on structuring improvements at the giant plant.
The co-op invested more than $50 million (€33m) in dry and cool storage at the same site between 2011 and 2015.
Paul Chubb, manager of the Whareroa plant in Taranaki, North Island said this site is strategically important to Fonterra because it produces 20% of the co-op’s wide range of dairy products including whole milk, skim milk, and buttermilk powder, milk protein and whey protein concentrates, lactic casein, butter, anhydrous milkfat and cheese.
A Taranaki Regional Council resource consent allows Fonterra to draw 30 million litres of water per day from the Tawhiti and Tangahoe rivers. At the seasons peak, the site uses 28 million litres of water per day, twice the amount of milk delivered for processing.
This plant was opened in 1973 by one of Fonterra’s founding members, Kiwi Dairies and closed down one of its original driers earlier this year as part of this refurbishment.
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