Ontario distillery partners with Michigan association to turn dairy byproduct into biofuel

Ontario-based Dairy Distillery and Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) launch a joint initiative to transform a dairy byproduct into ethanol.

Dairy Distillery has developed technology to transform milk permeate into vodka, named Vodkow. This use of milk permeate caught the attention of MMPA whose Constantine, Mich., facility produces 14,000 tonnes a year of milk premeate, which is being used for animal feed. Looking to create more value for its dairy farmer members, MMPA has partnered with Dairy Distillery to build a plant to process its milk permeate into 2.2 million gal of ethanol. When blended with transportation fuel, the permeate ethanol will offset 14,500 tonnes of carbon a year. This offset will reduce the carbon footprint of the milk processed at Constantine by five per cent.

“I’ve been inspired by MMPA dairy farmers and their commitment to sustainability. Using a milk byproduct to reduce the carbon footprint of dairy 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 ethanol plant is planned for early 2025. The project has received $2.5 million in funding from the Michigan Strategic Fund.

“Constructing an ethanol-processing plant at the Constantine facility compliments our focus on sustainability and provides a progressive, unique opportunity to utilize new technologies that add value to our current processing operations while further diversifying the markets we currently serve,” said MMPA president and CEO Joe Diglio.