From the milk in your morning coffee to the cheese in your fridge, Saputo products are a familiar part of Canadian life. Behind those everyday products, the company is finding new ways to use energy more efficiently.
Saputo is one of the top 10 dairy processors in the world. Headquartered in Montreal, the business produces cheese, milk, and cream products under popular brands like Neilson, Dairyland, and Milk2Go. Many products in Canadian grocery stores—think cheddar cheese blocks, cartons of milk, and coffee creamers—are created in Saputo facilities.
For Karim Saadi, Project Manager, Sustainability at Saputo Dairy Products Canada, making those facilities more efficient is both a business opportunity and an environmental priority.
“When you know your work has an impact on the business, on communities, neighbouring facilities… it’s truly so exciting,” said Karim Saadi, Project Manager, Sustainability at Saputo Dairy Products Canada.
Since 2024, the company has participated in ERA’s Strategic Energy Management for Industry (SEMI) program, receiving funding to implement energy efficiency upgrades in Alberta.
“Saputo is committed to reducing emissions from its operations by more than 40% by 2030, compared to its 2020 baseline. We’re taking on projects to reduce carbon emissions, as well as energy and water consumption,” explained Karim, “We knew our projects in Edmonton and Red Deer would fit the bill for SEMI.”
Making Every Unit of Energy Go Further
At Saputo’s Edmonton facility, the company is projected to save 2,327 gigajoules of energy each year through its completed SEMI project. To create coffee creamer mixes, the facility reheats water to a carefully controlled high temperature. Previously, they used a steam heat exchanger to dial up the temperature. Now, their SEMI-supported upgrade allows them to repurpose heat from an existing glycol loop, removing the need for the exchanger. Karim explains that the process is expected to avoid 115 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year.
Reusing Heat Instead of Wasting It
The impact only gets bigger in Red Deer, where Karim’s project is still underway.
To make dried products like milk powder, the facility operates a powerful dryer requiring high heat. With upgrades from SEMI, they will reuse previously wasted heat from their refrigerator system to help power the dryer, potentially avoiding 771 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions while reducing energy consumption.
For Karim, energy management is about more than improving the bottom line. It’s about doing the right thing.
“Neighbouring facilities and communities know Saputo creates products like cream and milk, but also that we’re a good corporate citizen through programs like this. We’re being more efficient, investing and reusing heat, and working together to reach our objectives.”
Quick Facts
- Saputo, one of the top ten dairy processors in the world, produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products, including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products, and dairy ingredients.
- ERA’s SEMI program provides industrial and manufacturing facilities with funding support, expertise, and training in energy management.
- SEMI is a $70 million program, with funding provided by the Government of Alberta and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). It is designed to help the province’s industrial and manufacturing sectors increase competitiveness, improve energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.