The directors of Laiterie Charlevoix in Baie-Saint-Paul have inaugurated a new facility for processing lactoserum and wastewater from its cheesemaking operations. The Agence de l’efficacité énergétique granted nearly $500,000 to the company under the Support for the Manufacturing Sector Program for this project. AEE also granted $129,000 under the Energy Innovation Assistance Program to consultant Valbio Canada, which was in charge of installing the technology required to optimize the preconditioning system.
The new facility will make it possible to reclaim lactoserum (whey) and wash water. These components are rich in organic material and will undergo an anaerobic digestion process (methanization) to produce biogas. In addition, an innovative conditioning system will be installed upstream from the methanization system to process suspended and aerobic sludges in order to increase the amount of renewable energy produced. The biogas will be used as a source of energy for various production processes and to heat buildings. It is anticipated that some 67,600 m3 a year of biogas will produced.
Laiterie Charlevoix, which was founded in 1948, is a family business that specializes in manufacturing cheeses and selling and distributing dairy and other local Charlevoix products. It manufactures, among others, the Cheddar Charlevoix, Fleurmier de Charlevoix, Hercule de Charlevoix, and 1608 cheeses.
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Lexicon
Biomethanization: A biological process used to produce methane from organic waste. During the process, a mixture of methane, carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases is produced. The mixture is called biogas.
Suspended sludge: Sludge essentially composed of fats and oils from cheesemaking waste.
Aerobic sludge: Sludge from the aerobic clarifier (treated in the presence of oxygen).
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