Milky Mist Dairy commissions 7 MW solar power plant in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu-based dairy products manufacturer Milky Mist Dairy has commissioned a 7 MW solar power plant at Kavilipalayam village in the city of Erode on March 21, seeking to itself as the forerunner in environmental sustainability.

Milky Mist, with an annual turnover of Rs 1,100 crore, has embarked on switching over to renewable green energy resources over fossil-fuelled energy resources.

The plant was designed, installed, and commissioned by SWELECT, a solar power systems company based in New Delhi, with an outlay of ₹40 crore, said a release, adding that the new power plant is another feather in the cap that will enable milky mist to run with 100% sustainable energy as a part of green energy portfolio augmentation.

The installation is expected to reduce 30,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. With the already existing 6 MW solar power plant spanning 14 acres at Chithode, and 2 MW wind farms at Kayatharu in Thirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, it has become the first Indian FMCG company to become 100% self-sustainable, the release added.

Founded by a teenage milk supplier, Sathish Kumar, in the 1990s, the company has become one of India’s largest manufacturers of dairy products over the years and runs its manufacturing units on renewable energy and has its own sustainable energy plants.

“Milky Mist ensures responsible sourcing of energy to power the factories by harnessing solar energy, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions of 4,340 tons annually,” claims the company.

India’s dairy industry has grown unabated since the mid-1970s. At over 150 million metric tons per year, the country has become the largest milk producer in the world. Milk production is an integral component of Indian agriculture, supporting the livelihood and food security of more than two-thirds of the rural population.

Most of the milk processing operations, room conditioning for milk product packaging and cold stores for milk & milk products operate on coal-fired grid electric supply. Milky Mist’s efforts to shift to renewable energy could encourage other dairy products manufacturers to opt for sustainable production.