A MILESTONE in a £12-million investment project being undertaken by MV Ingredients at Milk Link's Taw Valley Creamery in North Tawton has been reached with the successful installation of a 20-tonne state of the art whey dryer chamber.

The project, which is the result of a joint strategic partnership between Milk Link, the UK's largest cheese producer, and dairy nutrition company, Volac, will see the creation of an advanced whey processing operation at the creamery.

The new dryer chamber measures eight metres in diameter and had to be lifted to more than 100 feet by a 500-tonne crane to secure it into position.

The new MV Ingredients whey processing facility is on track to go live at the site in the autumn and will be the most advanced of its type in the UK. 

The investment will provide a strong platform for further growth and development of cheese production, and enable the creamery to produce a new, value added whey permeate product.   The new facility will also deliver enhanced levels of energy efficiency and reduced environmental emissions.