P 22 Investment in sustainable energy sources Our cheese factories in Katwoude and Heerenveen as well as all our Dutch stores run 100% on green energy. Last year 1234 solar panels have been installed on the roof of the cheese factory in Heerenveen. In Katwoude we already have 1402 solar panels supply power. What make these solar panels unique is that they also generate heat. That heat is used for the wash water, which must be approximately 38 degrees during the cheese-making process. In addition to the standard measures to save and generate energy, we always look for opportunities to take extra steps. An example of this is the use of an evaporator. When making cheese, rennet is added to the milk to separate the solid elements in the milk (proteins, fat and minerals) from the fluids, called whey. An evaporator converts whey into compact whey. In Heerenveen we invested a few years ago in such an evaporator. Where one needs six trucks for the transport of regular whey, compact whey only requires one truck. That saves hundreds of truck movements every year. Recently, we have implemented a nanofiltration line in our cheese factory in Katwoude. This sustainable method uses membrane technology to concentrate our cheese whey, saving us nearly 80 truck trips at this location in 2023. We collect approx. 1.5 million liters of rainwater in Katwoude. This water we use to flush the toilets, used by thousands of visitors every year, but also as drinking water for our Jersey cows. The more rainwater falls, the less tap water we need.
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