Digester turns cheese byproducts to power

TURTLE LAKE (AP) - A $28 million project in northwestern Wisconsin will turn cheese production waste into power, heat and fertilizer.

The GreenWhey digester will be among the largest privately held wastewater treatment plants that produce energy in the country. GreenWhey will take waste from five cheese factories and a soy food ingredient plant and convert it to power that it will sell to Xcel Energy.

The Journal Sentinel says the project, under construction at Turtle Lake, could be done by summer. GreenWhey has the necessary construction permits and has obtained long-term financing.

GreenWhey president Tom Ludy says the project is about 55 percent complete.