Valio is the biggest milk production company in Finland, receiving 85 percent of the milk produced in the country. It produces whey powder in Lapinlahti, while its Seinäjoki plant produces milk powder. “Valio ships over 60 million kilos of milk and whey powders annually,” says Antero Ylitalo, production manager of Valio powder production.
He explains the process can be energy intensive since whey and milk powder production involves drying fluids. Therefore, the company is always looking for new ways to increase production, without using more energy. Valio attained NAPCON, a proprietary advanced process automation (APC) solution from Neste Jacobs, for its Lapinlahti plant.