A power station in the French Alps is generating electricity by using skimmed whey, a by-product of locally crafted Beaufort cheese.
Bacteria added to the whey convert it into biogas, a combination of methane and carbon dioxide. The biogas is then used to create electricity.
The plant in Albertville, in Savoie, opened only in October but is selling the electricity to energy company EDF. Production is said to be sufficient for a community of 1,500.
Full-fat milk goes into the production of Beaufort cheese, leaving surplus whey and cream. The cream is used to create ricotta cheese and butter.
The whey is tempered with bacteria in a tank where natural fermentation takes place resulting in methane.
The gas then goes through an engine that heats water to 90ºC and generates electricity.
Valbio, the designer and builder of the plant, created its first cheese-based power station 10 years ago next to an abbey where the monks have made cheese since the 12thC.
Since then, some 20 small-scale plants have been set up in France and other parts of Europe as well as Canada.
More units are planned in Australia, Italy, Brazil and Uruguay.
The production of cheese at Wyke Farms in Somerset is self-sufficient in energy thanks to the use of waste cheese, cow manure and leftover crops passed through a biodigester to create electricity.
