Having announced that Arla Foods amba is to invest over £150 million in building the world’s first billion litre liquid milk dairy, Arla Foods UK today confirms that it has secured a 70-acre site at Aston Clinton, Aylesbury, on which to build what will also be the first zero carbon milk processing facility.
During the land search, Aylesbury emerged as the front-runner giving the best overall logistics solution to service Arla’s customers, when considering both raw milk collection from farm and finished product to the retailers. It also provides the best access to a densely populated area.
When it announced its intention to build the new facility in November 2009, Arla referred to it as being the most ‘environmentally advanced in the world’ and today confirms its plans to establish the dairy as a zero carbon operation. Throughout the design stage, the potential impact on the environment of each element of the dairy has been evaluated and the best available construction techniques, advanced process technologies and cutting edge renewable energy opportunities will be utilised.
Commenting on the new build, which will be operational in 2012, Peter Lauritzen, CEO of Arla Foods UK, said: “I am delighted that, once again, Arla is taking the lead in setting the future standards of the dairy industry. Being zero carbon will put the new dairy in a class of its own, demonstrating our environmental responsibilities and our ambition of becoming the UK’snumber one dairy company.”
Jakob Nielsen, Arla’s project director for the new dairy, comments: “We are already working with the local authority to agree the scope of the planning application and we are in the process of finalising the design specifications. The next step is to appoint contractors to work with us on the project.”
It is anticipated that circa 500 production, distribution and administration jobs will be created at the site.