Abstract
In 2015, the milk quota system that is in place in Europe is to be abolished, instigating an increase in milk production. This increase will aid in addressing the worlds ever growing demand for food but will incur increased stresses on the environmental impact and sustainability of the dairy industry. In this paper, aspects of the environmental sustainability of the Irish dairy processing industry are assessed by calculating two key performance indicators for 2013: water consumption and direct energy use. Water consumption was found to be approximately 2.28 m3 m3 milk processed. The energy usage is estimated to be 474 kWh m3 milk processed, which is made up of 114 kWh m3 milk processed in electrical energy and 360 kWh m3 milk processed in thermal energy.
| Original language | English (Ireland) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | XVth International Water Resources Association (IWRA) World Water Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Place of Publication | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Publication status | Published - 1 May 2015 |
Authors (Note for portal: view the doc link for the full list of authors)
- Authors
- Finnegan, W., Goggins, J., Clifford, E., Fitzhenry, K., Zhan, X.