Carbon-Neutral Milk: Valio’s Biogas-Powered Truck Cuts Emissions by 85%

Carbon-Neutral Milk: Valio’s Biogas-Powered Truck Cuts Emissions by 85%

(IN BRIEF) Valio, a dairy company, has introduced a new biogas-powered milk truck that significantly reduces emissions compared to diesel trucks. This initiative aligns with Valio’s goal of achieving carbon-neutral milk production by 2035. The use of biogas not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also enhances logistics efficiency, allowing larger quantities of milk to be transported in a single load. Despite challenges such as limited refuelling infrastructure, Valio remains committed to expanding its fleet of biogas-powered vehicles to further reduce emissions from milk collection.

(PRESS RELEASE) HELSINKI, 11-Jun-2024 — /EuropaWire/ — Valio, a Finnish innovative dairy and food company, announces that a biogas-powered milk truck has commenced its operations, transporting milk to its Riihimäki and Jyväskylä dairies since early May. This new addition boasts 85% lower emissions compared to its diesel-powered counterparts, aligning with Valio’s commitment to increase the fleet of biogas-powered milk collection trucks annually as the distribution network expands.

Valio’s ambitious target of achieving zero carbon footprint for milk by 2035 underscores the importance of reducing emissions from transportation. Biogas offers a promising avenue, capable of slashing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85% when compared to fossil fuels.

Petteri Laine, Head of Logistics overseeing milk collection and transports, highlights the circular economy benefits of utilizing renewable biogas in transportation. The enhanced power of the new biogas-powered collection truck enables it to handle larger milk quantities, effectively cutting costs and emissions by transporting more milk in each trip.

Fueled by liquefied biogas derived from industrial by-products and municipal waste, the truck traverses approximately 800 kilometers daily, collecting milk from Valio’s farms in Hartola, Sysmä, and Joutsa. With six LBG-powered trucks currently in operation, Valio and its transport partners have lauded the availability, functionality, and reliability of biogas trucks.

While the limited refueling network remains a challenge, plans are underway to introduce more biogas-powered trucks for milk collection in the coming months. Valio’s commitment to reducing emissions is evident in its efforts to optimize logistics and collaborate with customers to achieve emission reduction targets.

In 2023 alone, Valio’s milk collection trucks covered a total of 18.8 million kilometers, with biogas-powered trucks contributing approximately 1.2 million kilometers. This initiative resulted in a significant reduction of around 750 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, representing approximately 6% of total milk collection emissions for the year.

Petteri Laine emphasizes that beyond meeting Valio’s climate targets, reducing fossil emissions from logistics plays a crucial role in Finland’s broader emission reduction efforts. By prioritizing emission reduction strategies in milk transportation, Valio not only advances its sustainability agenda but also contributes to Finland’s environmental objectives.

Media Contact:

Helena Karhujoki
Senior Vice President
Valio Group Communications
+358 10 381 2118
mediadesk@valio.fi

SOURCE: Valio Ltd