Ontario Company Turns Milk Into Bioethanol Fuel

You’ve probably heard about corn being turned into ethanol, but we bet you didn’t know it was possible to do the same thing with milk.

More specifically, milk permeate, a lactose-rich byproduct that is produced after the removal of proteins and other solids from fresh whey or milk, enables this surprising transformation. And one Canadian company now aims to use it as transportation fuel.

• Also: New Faces Dominate Latest Fuel Economy Rankings, Old Ones Still Struggle
• Also: Ontario Extends Fuel Tax Cut For an Additional Year

Dairy Distiller in Almonte, Ontario is well-known for its milk-based vodka called Vodkow. Late last month, it partnered with the Michigan Milk Producers Association (MMPA) to manufacture bioethanol for combustion engines.

A plant is slated to open right next to the MMPA’s Constantine location in early 2025, with the goal to process its milk permeate into 8.3 million litres of bioethanol.

When blended with transportation fuel, the permeate ethanol will offset 14,500 tonnes of carbon a year, which represents about 5 percent of the carbon footprint of the milk processed at Constantine.

Is it all worth it, though? We’re not so sure. Incidentally, milk permeate has many other applications in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, medicine and chemical industries.