Emmi's production facility in Emmen - Yoghurt and cheese from

Each year, Emmi uses some 32,000 tonnes of steam at its facility in Emmen to manufacture Emmi Energy Milk, Luzerner Rahmkäse, yoghurt and other products. To date, the steam has been produced with heating oil. To reduce heavy CO2 emissions and trim costs, Emmi has decided that going forward, it will generate some 70 % of the steam using green energy. To this end, construction began in mid-November 2008 on a wood chip plant on the neighbouring plot of land owned by Amstutz Holzenergie. The facility is being financed and operated in conjunction with ewl energie wasser luzern. The total project investment is approx. CHF 3.5 million.

Heating oil saved equivalent to 800 single-family homes From late May 2009, the new facility is expected to produce some 22,000 tonnes of steam per year. The existing steam plant will remain operational to cover peak demand and/or times of malfunction or maintenance work. However, it will be powered with environmentally friendly natural gas instead of heating oil. In all, Emmi will save about 1.6 million litres of heating oil a year, equivalent to that consumed by 800 single-family homes. The switch to the wood chip facility means a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of some 4,700 tonnes per year.

Continuous measures for improving the ecobalance Since 2005, Emmi has been working carefully towards reaching the CO2 objectives agreed for 2012, which consist of reducing CO2 intensity to 79.18% and increasing energy efficiency by 12.18% vis-à-vis 2000. Emmi will exceed this goal set with the Federal Council, thanks in great part to the wood chip facility in Emmen.