TINE is the largest dairy group in Norway with 5,700 employees at 44 dairy plants and five dairy terminals. With its order worth more than €26 million, TINE will receive process equipment from Anhydro for the evaporation and drying of new products derived from whey produced during the cheese-making process.

A low-value by-product that was previously used for animal feed, the whey will now be refined into high-value whey protein concentrate (WPC) and permeate. Both of these products are used as food ingredients, for example in infant formula.

The total order embraces equipment for two new cheese plants, which are currently being built at Jæren near Stavanger, and at Verdal, north of Trondhjem.

“After close scrutiny of offers from a number of suppliers, our choice fell on Anhydro with its existing impressive track record in our business sector,” said Finn Bjørgo and Kjertil Thu, managing directors at TINE Midt-Norge and TINE Dairy Sør respectively.

Both emphasise their considerable expectations of the new production plants, which will be completed in 2011 and 2012 respectively.

“Obviously, we are very happy about the agreement with TINE, which is the largest single order we have ever received,” said Anhydro director Søren S Rasmussen. “The global economic crisis meant that we faced a difficult market for a period, but recently we have seen more and more signs of renewed will to invest at the companies with whom we have a dialogue. This renews my confidence in the coming year and, not least, I am looking forward to a long and successful partnership with TINE and other customers in the dairy industry.”

Over recent months Anhydro has signed a DKK50 million contract with Meggle in Germany and an even larger order from Chemtex in Venezuela.