The farmer can take a hot bath thanks to the milk of his cows

A farmer from Hensbroek in North Holland generates energy from the heat of milk produced by 148 cows. Hot water is used for shower, washing machine and dishwasher. “It’s a great system,” cattle farmer Marco Jabis tells NH Nieuws.

Heat is generated in the milking robot with which cows are milked daily. The milk temperature is reduced from 37 to 4 degrees by means of a plate cooler. Milk and cold water flow over each other, exchanging heat.

In the attic there are a few huge barrels in which hot water is stored. “Then the heat pump takes it out when we need it,” he explains. It has a central heating tank and a hot water tank.

According to Jabes, using the heat that is collected during cooling only has advantages. “You use less gas which is of course great in these times. Plus, the milk goes into the tank cold and the cooling engine doesn’t have to run as hard. This also saves energy. There is less temperature fluctuation in the air which in turn leads to Better milk quality.”