Within the BETTED project, a comprehensive toolbox has been developed to support the energy transition of the dairy sector. Including seven distinct tools, the BETTED toolbox addresses key aspects of energy efficiency, the integration of renewable energy sources, and the deployment of heat pumps across the entire dairy value chain.
The primary objective of the BETTED project is to facilitate the adoption of energy efficiency measures by companies operating within dairy supply chains. By doing so, the project aims to accelerate market uptake of sustainable energy practices at the value chain level.
The Dairy Supply Chain tool, Excel-based, helps to understand and minimize the overall specific energy consumption along the dairy supply chain. This tool enables users to calculate energy requirements associated with storage and transportation activities, providing a full-chain perspective from raw material production to the point of sale to end consumers.
The tool requires input data for each process stage, encompassing multiple companies and activities. While the dairy supply chain typically includes seven key stages, the tool is adaptable, indeed users can combine or add stages as necessary. It is important to consider one representative product per analysis.
The typical stages include:
- Warehouse at raw material supplier
- Transport between supplier and producer (single drop)
- Warehouse for raw materials and final products
- Transport to distribution centers (single drop)
- Warehouse at distribution centers
- Transport to retailers (multi-drop)
- Retailer’s warehouse and display area
The results generated by the tool are detailed and structured. Energy consumption is broken down by energy carrier, while economic and environmental impacts are reported in terms of cost and equivalent CO₂ emissions per kilogram of final product. Results are presented for each supply chain stage, making it easy to identify the most energy-intensive segment(s). In addition to energy usage, the tool provides insights into average storage times, equipping decision-makers with the information needed to prioritize energy efficiency investments and optimize supply chain performance.
The tool is available and it can be downloaded at this link.
