Alto Dairy

Alto Dairy Cooperative, located in Waupun, Wisconsin, is a member-owned dairy consisting of 600 producers. Alto is a manufacturer of high quality cheese and whey. Alto operates 24 hours per day, 365 days per year to produce more than 400,000 pounds of American and Italian-style cheese per day, from a daily intake of more than 4.5 million pounds of milk.

IEA built, owns, operates and maintains a steam system at Alto’s site which provides them with reliable, efficient and environmentally friendly energy.

“We are able to not only increase our production, but enhance the process as well. This project has been a win-win situation for all involved.” stated Hans Horetzki, Director of Engineering, Alto Dairy Cooperative.

Alto Dairy Steam System

The steam system allows Alto to increase production & enhance their process.

The steam system includes:

• Four 800 Hp firetube boilers— total steam production of 96,000 pph at 120 psi
• One 3,000 gallon deaerator capable of providing 110,000 pph of feedwater
• One 2,000 gallon backup DA feedwater tank
• Two feedwater pumps—each sized to provide 100% of the feedwater requirements
• Fully automated system
• All electrical interconnects
• All pipes, valaves and interconnects

The steam system successfully reduced nitrous oxide (NOx) emissions at the facility while increasing its overall net efficiency by more than 5%.

IEA was awarded the Associated Builders and Contractors of Wisconsin Project of Distinction Award for Steam System at Alto Dairy upon its completion in 2002.