Eko-mlek starts production in new dairy - Modern plant cuts energy consumption by 60 percent

Krusevac-based Eko-mlek dairy company opened a new energy-efficient dairy plant in the village of Kaonik late last year, which has been operating at full capacity for almost two months now, producing cheeses for use on pizza, such as pizza cheese, Kashkaval and Mozzarela, as well as whey cheeses, Riccota and cottage cheese.

- Although a major part of the production has been moved to a new plant, certain number of our employees will keep working at the old plant for some time - Deputy Director Sasa Nedeljkovic says to eKapija, adding that their workers are still getting used to the new equipment and method of work.

According to our interlocutor, the company's management was focused on the construction of a 4,000 square meter modern facility worth EUR 1.8 million during the whole last year. The money for this project was provided by ProCredit Bank, while the interest repayment is now a concern of the German Development Bank (KfW), people at Eko-mlek say and add that the new dairy plant ensures the sale of raw milk and agricultural products from the Krusevac municipality as well as production in a facility built in line with European standards.

Production has remained on the same level, at 50,000 liters of milk a day, but the plan is to double it within the next two years, whereas a long-term objective is to increase the production at that modern dairy to 300,000 liters of milk per shift.

(Photo: ekomlek.rs)

– A growth of the volume of work will make it possible for us to hire new people, so that we won't keep the number of workers at the current 78 - Nedeljkovic announces.

The newly built facility is supplied with energy from its own plant producing biogas from biological waste created in the processing of milk (the whey) and, as our interlocutor stresses, the first effects of the facility's energy efficiency are already showing.

- Energy savings range between 50 and 60 percent at the moment, but we expect them to grow 10 to 20 percent and that we achieve the target production with 80 percent less energy consumed than in the old plant - Nedeljkovic explains.

Eko-mlek also uses biological waste at its pig farm, which is situated next to the modern dairy plant along with a fodder mixer, so that whey is here also used to feed animals.

This dairy company currently has about 800 collaborators in the valley of the Ribarska River and the Aleksinac area. Given that its product portfolio is quite specific, Eko-mlek mainly supplies wholesale stores for pizza restaurant and bakery supplies, but all of its products can also be found in Mercator and Univerexport retail stores as well as in Matijevic meat shops.

Eko-mlek plans to use all the features of the new dairy plant to achieve the best possible quality of products with maximum energy savings.

I.M.