July 28, 2022
In a statement sent to the Lusa news agency, the companies Atlantic Energy and Prolacto state that the “22/25 agricultural energy transition program” will allow for “reducing the carbon footprint of the production chain”, minimizing the “environmental impact” and decreasing the “costs inherent to the activity”.
"Each milk producer will have a complete photovoltaic system on their farm, from photovoltaic panels to a technological platform, which will allow milk producers to reduce the cost of their activity and contribute to the decarbonization of the sector," reads the press release.
In the first 15 farms that will serve as a pilot for the initiative, studies have shown a "reduction of 92 tons of carbon dioxide per year" and "savings of more than 30,000 euros per year on the electricity bill" for producers.
Prolacto, whose factory is located in the municipality of Lagoa, on the island of São Miguel, estimates that the program will include another 40 milk producers from the Azores by the end of the year.
The head of Atlantic Energy, Roberto Medeiros, quoted in the statement, noted that reducing costs and decarbonizing the dairy sector brings "numerous benefits to the industry" and "a higher quality of life for producers."
"Decarbonizing milk production is an important transformation for the future of the industry and exports from the Azores, adding value to products in the European, national and American markets," he stated.
The Azores produce 600 million liters of milk annually, about 35% of the total national production.
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