IDM ¦ Site Report
Mona Dairy is a new player in the British and European
cheese market. Founded to process milk from
five farms with a combined 2,700 cows in Wales, the
new cheese dairy in Anglesey is aiming for growth
right from the start. The product range initially consists of Cheddar
and Gouda. The editorial team spoke to managing director Ronald
Akkerman.
Akkerman, who has been setting up and managing cheese
dairies in the UK for many years as a technical service provider, was
initially only engaged as a consultant when British dairy farmer David
Wynne-Finch started to realise his plans two years ago. During
the course of the £20 million project, the two then entered into a
50:50 partnership in which Akkerman, in addition to building and
setting up the cheese dairy, also took over its management.
No more fossil burning
"Our new Mona Dairy is ambitious in every way," Akkerman explains.
"We don't want to go from a standing start with just our
16 · May/June 2022 ¦ international-dairy.com
Mona Dairy Factory
Mona Dairy
The first 100% regenerative cheese plant
product quality, we also have a really sustainable concept." This
concept means that Mona Dairy does not use any fossil fuels, but
is 100% regenerative. A biogas plant just 300 m from the dairy
supplies the plant with electricity, which in turn relies entirely on
heat pumps and CHP. Akkerman: "Via the heat pumps we get two
circuits, one with 35 °C and one with 80 °C. That is enough to run
the whole operation. For cooling, we don't use ice water either,
but the low-temperature circuit from the heat pump."
Akkerman designed the energy part as well as the process
technology of the 2,500 m² cheese dairy himself, based on his
long experience. The engineering is mainly based on components
from Alfa Laval. The cheese vat was sourced from Kalt Maschinenbau,
the press from Bosgraaf, while the moulds were supplied by
Laude. A Casomatic is to be added in 2023. In principle, Akkerman
says, the cheese dairy is a hybrid Gouda line that can also produce
dry-filled cheddar. Production is exclusively in 15-kg euro blocks,
and all processes are fully automated as far as possible.
/international-dairy.com
