Arla Foods lights the way in saving energy

Arla Foods’ National Distribution Centre (NDC) in Stourton, Leeds, has helped the company reduce its energy consumption and move a step closer to achieving its environmental targets - simply by replacing the lightbulbs.

Stourton NDC replaced 382 sodium lights with 375 LED lights, in its chilled warehouse space, reducing the wattage from 480w to just 80w. The new lights have a lifespan of 10 years and, unlike sodium lights, are a lot clearer and brighter.

Paul Lloyd, vice president for operations at Arla, said: “This process will contribute towards achieving the company target of reducing CO2 emissions by 34 per cent by 2020. Lighting is our second biggest power usage after refrigeration. With the LEDs, not only do we save on electricity from the lower wattage, but we also expect to see a decrease in energy used in refrigeration because the lights throw off no heat whatsoever.

It is expected the site’s annual power use will drop significantly. Consumption figures have shown that the new lighting reduced C02 emmisions by 261 tonnes in just six months, from June to December 2011.

“We are now looking into phase two of the process, which will see the NDC offices, yard and service roads using the same LED technology, further reducing our impact on the environment.”

Arla Foods UK plc is home to some of the UK’s leading dairy brands including Cravendale, Lurpak and Anchor. Processing approximately two billion litres of milk a year Arla continues to be one of the UK’s leading dairy companies and a supplier of fresh liquid milk and cream to the top seven retailers.

Over 2,500 daily deliveries are made directly to stores nationwide and Arla brands can be found across the dairy category. As well as the leader of the butter, spreads and margarine sector, and a major supplier of other added value products including flavoured milk and cheese, Arla continues to build working relationships with Arla Foods Milk Partnership, a unique group of dairy farmers, which supplies around 90 per cent of Arla's total milk requirements.

Behind this leading business is a team of circa 2,800 people across the UK located at our dairies, distribution centres and head office.