Fonterra Hautapu | WPC Plant Capacity Project

Overview

Fonterra's Hautapu plant underwent major process changes to increase its Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC) production capacity. Fonterra contracted Nemesys to supply the automation resources behind the upgrade, developing Level 2 Grafcet functional designs, PLC software, and HMI systems.

The work required modifications to the existing PCS software alongside significant physical installation changes across the WPC process plant.

Key Features

The WPC process plant changes included:

  • Retentate tank replacement — removal of the existing retentate tanks and valves, and installation of new units.
  • New organic retentate system — one new organic retentate tank, valves, valve manifold, and three pumps.
  • Clarifier consolidation — removal of four existing clarifiers and installation of one new clarifier.
  • New flow control — a new VSD managing flow on the Whey Clarifier Balance Tank.
  • Thermaliser upgrade — improved performance across the thermalising process.
  • Pressure control upgrade — removal of twelve existing flow restriction solenoid valves, replaced with new pressure controls using new pressure transmitters and new VSDs on the loop pumps.
  • UV treatment — installation of a Filtech UV treatment plant on the diafiltration water supply to UFA and UFB.
Technology Used
  • Wonderware InTouch (HMI)
  • Schneider Quantum PLCs
  • Schneider Quantum and X80 remote I/O
  • Schneider Process Drives

Total I/O count: 1,000

Impact

By rebuilding the retentate, clarifier, and pressure control systems under upgraded PCS software, Nemesys helped lift WPC production capacity at Hautapu while modernising the plant's control architecture. The result is a higher-throughput process plant with improved flow control, pressure management, and water treatment.

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