Gemak successfully completed “Project Dragon,” a state-of-the-art whey, milk and cream processing with clean-in-place (CIP) units for South Caernarfon Creameries (SCC) in North Wales. 

SCC is Wales’ oldest and largest farmer-owned dairy co-operative, with 160 farmer members supplying locally sourced Welsh milk, produces more than 20 varieties of Welsh and British cheeses. embarked on a £15 million expansion plan to increase its cheese production capacity from 15,000 tons to 23,000 tons annually. Backed by a £5 million grant from the Welsh Government’s Food Business Investment Scheme, this investment aimed to bolster SCC’s resilience and competitiveness in the global market.

Alan Wyn-Jones, Managing Director of SCC, said, “After a thorough tendering process, Gemak was chosen due to their ability to integrate into our existing processes and systems, lead times, quality and competitiveness.”

Established in 1986, Gemak specializes in the design and manufacture of world-class hygienic processing equipment and engineered solutions for the dairy, beverage, food, plant-based, and chemical sectors. 

Gemak’s role in “Project Dragon” was pivotal. Besides leveraging its expertise in designing and manufacturing hygienic whey processing plant, the project also included a new milk and cream processing plant, storage silos, and a CIP unit for SCC’s existing cheese plant. 

 Kursat Uysal of Gemak UK expressed the company’s enthusiasm for the partnership: “We were proud and excited to have been chosen by SCC as their technology partner for this project and even more proud to have successfully completed and achieved KPIs. This milestone marks an important step for Gemak in entering the UK whey processing market.”

Andrew Lyons from Engineer IQ, who led the process project management, stated, “The plant was designed to deliver optimal operational efficiency and sustainable solutions with stringent KPIs on waste levels, utility consumption, and operating costs.”

 The completion of Project Dragon goes beyond conventional targets, achieving above expectation sustainability milestones, according to Gemak. Initially designed for net-zero water consumption on-site, the facility exceeded expectations, earning a “Net Zero Plus water” distinction by generating over 100,000 liters of clean water daily beyond what is recovered and reused on-site. 

Gemak also delivered a facility capable of processing whey at a rate of 30 tons per hour and producing whey concentrate from RO (HIRO) with an unprecedented capability of 30% total solids, a first in the UK, according to Gemak.

 The facility’s performance has achieved every set of KPI in:

• Continuous run time
• Yield recovery per litre of whey and milk
• Process accuracy
• Waste reduction

"Completing this project has been both a challenging and rewarding experience. Gemak’s team demonstrated dedication and expertise, making the collaboration productive. Their hard work played a key role in achieving our goals. I appreciate their commitment and look forward to future collaborations," said Wyn-Jones.