Agri-Mark, the farmer-owned dairy cooperative behind the Cabot Creamery, McCadam and Agri-Mark Whey and Dairy Proteins brands, and Eversource have completed an energy efficiency upgrade at Agri-Mark’s West Springfield, Massachusetts plant. 

Agri-Mark and Eversource partnered on the installation of a high-efficiency mechanical vapor recompression (MVR) unit, which is used in the production of condensed and powdered milk products. This equipment has resulted in reductions that help lower energy usage, reduce costs and support operational consistency and product quality.

Eversource provided incentives through the Mass Save programs for this project, along with technical expertise and strategic planning to help Agri-Mark identify and implement energy-saving solutions that deliver meaningful savings.

Agri-Mark retired its former MVR system in 2022 and began to rely more heavily on a steam-based thermal vapor recompression (TVR) system. This process was supplied by a natural gas-fired boiler, which raised fuel use and introduced temperature swings that contributed to additional maintenance and cleaning. The newly installed MVR system restores stable evaporation temperatures and enables the plant to perform energy-intensive processes more efficiently by recovering and reusing heat instead of relying on high-pressure steam. MVR technology captures heat from milk vapor, compresses it and reuses it as the next heat source, eliminating the need for fresh steam compared with conventional designs.

In addition to the Eversource incentives, this project received grant support from the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center, making a complex industrial retrofit financially practical for a cooperative owned by hundreds of dairy farm families across New England and New York.

The MVR upgrade is expected to reduce natural gas consumption by an estimated 967,000 therms per year, resulting in a lower overall energy usage and improved long-term affordability for the operation, not accounting for modest increases in electricity use. 

To complete this system rebuild project, Eversource also partnered with Agri-Mark to install a new, energy-efficient Finisher TVR and next generation TVR technology, which will reduce natural gas consumption by an additional 110,000 therms annually. The equivalent gas savings from these combined projects replace the greenhouse gas emissions that would arise from driving over 14 million miles in a gas-powered car.

“This is an example of practical innovation that keeps essential manufacturing efficient and affordable, making day-to-day operations more predictable for a plant that runs every hour of the day,” says Penni McLean-Conner, Eversource executive vice president of customer experience and energy strategy. “By pairing incentives with technical guidance, we helped Agri-Mark bring back a high-efficiency MVR system that cuts fuel use, stabilizes operations and supports the cooperative’s long-term sustainability goals, benefiting the farmers who own it and the communities they serve.”

Operational benefits are already evident through more consistent product temperatures, less maintenance, quieter operations and longer batch times – improvements that translate into operational reliability, labor efficiencies and better use of equipment. For a high-volume plant that operates continuously to support the region’s dairy farmers, these gains translate to more stable and efficient production at the scale the operation demands.

“For our farmer owned cooperative, sustainable operations matter,” says Jed Davis, vice president of strategic engagement and sustainability at Agri-Mark. “This upgrade lowers our environmental footprint while continuing to make award winning dairy products. Our ongoing partnership with Eversource strengthens our ability to operate responsibly and supports the long-term viability of our cooperative.”