Danone Launches $40 Million Renewable Energy Project to Recycle Yogurt Waste
Danone and PurposeEnergy open a $40 million Ohio facility to convert yogurt production waste into renewable biogas, cutting carbon emissions significantly.
POLICY WIRE — Minster, Ohio — Danone, the global food giant behind the Oikos yogurt brand, has unveiled a $40 million facility designed to transform manufacturing waste into a sustainable power source.
The project, developed in partnership with PurposeEnergy, utilizes anaerobic digestion to process organic residuals from Danone’s nearby yogurt production plant. This biological process breaks down food waste in the absence of oxygen to generate biogas.
Located in Minster, Ohio, the facility is situated adjacent to Danone’s largest U.S. yogurt manufacturing site. Wastewater and organic byproducts are transported directly to the new plant via pipeline for conversion.
Once processed, the resulting biogas is sent back to the Danone factory to fuel a dedicated boiler, effectively replacing conventional natural gas. PurposeEnergy projects that this initiative will reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by approximately 3,200 tons annually.
Heiko Gerling, chief operating officer of Danone Americas, described the project as a key component of the company’s Re-Fuel energy excellence program. He noted that the initiative demonstrates how operational expansion and environmental responsibility can be achieved simultaneously.
The facility is currently operational, with a formal grand opening scheduled for next spring. Eric Fitch, founder and CEO of PurposeEnergy, stated that the project provides manufacturers with a viable path to increase production capacity while adhering to environmental commitments.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
