Almonte, Ontario-based Dairy Distillery and the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) launch a joint initiative to turn a dairy byproduct into usable ethanol as biofuel for cars and trucks. The Dairy Distillery has developed a technology for turning milk permeate into vodka, a product called Vodkow. This use of permeated milk caught the attention of MMPA, whose Constantine, Michigan facility produces 14,000 tons of permeated milk annually, which is used for animal feed.
Seeking to create more value for its dairy members, MMPA partnered with Dairy Distillery to build a plant to process its milk permeate into 2.2 million gallons (8.3 million liters) of ethanol for the use in cars and trucks. That amount of ethanol, when blended with gasoline, can offset 14,500 tons of carbon annually, reducing the carbon footprint of processed milk at Constantine by 5%, according to Crain’s Detroit Business. «I was inspired by the MMPA dairy farmers and their commitment to sustainability. Using a dairy by-product to reduce the carbon footprint of dairy products is an innovation that will make a significant contribution to MMPA’s net-zero carbon emissions goal,” explains Dairy Distillery CEO Omid McDonald. Ethanol production at the $40 million plant is scheduled for early 2025. The project has received $2.5 million in funding from the Michigan Strategic Fund.