Fonterra builds world’s first earthquake-proof whole milk drying plant
GEA Group, Germany, is building a unique whole milk drying plant for Fonterra in New Zealand. The plant is scheduled to pump out 15 tons of product per hour and is said to be the world’s first earthquake-proof commercial whole milk drying plant. Situated on an earthquake fault line at Pahiatua, the plant has been designed to withstand a 1/2500-year event without damage.
The plant is also ideally located for the dairy farms it serves, avoiding the need for tankers to traverse the Manawatu Gorge, which can be dangerous in bad weather.