HukKABio - Casein-Based Biocomposites from Waste Milk

The EIP-Agri project HukKaBio evelops a solution for utilizing waste milk on dairy farms. The goal is to extract casein from the waste stream and produce biocomposites to replace petroleum-based materials. The project also explores the infrastructure and business models needed for casein recovery and industrial processing. Results are directly applicable on farms. The project involves skilled farmers, advisors, and experts, and has received funding of 171 504.51 EUR from European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). Final outcomes will be announced in our web pages.

Goals

This project aims to create new opportunities to improve the profitability of primary production—in this case, dairy farming—and to reduce emissions.

Objective 1:

Develop a practical solution for separating casein from waste milk. The goal is to establish a simple and cost-effective method for extracting casein without the need for a dairy plant.

Objective 2: 

Identify the most economically viable production methods and define the technical and economic conditions under which casein extracted from waste milk can be used to produce biocomposites that replace oil-based materials. This includes laboratory-scale production of biocomposites, particularly casein-cellulose fibers, followed by an assessment of industrial-scale methods for manufacturing market-ready biocomposites.

Objective 3: 

Create a business model for dairy farmers to utilize waste raw materials in a way that improves farm profitability. In collaboration with Lapatto dairy farm, Hovi farm, and Co-operative Tuottajain Maito the solutions described above are expected to offer a viable business opportunity for farmers to make better use of otherwise wasted resources.

The project is based on generalizability and openness, it also invites dairy farms outside South Karelia to explore opportunities to improve and develop their own operations. In the future, this could lead to significant cooperative models involving multiple farms and other agricultural entrepreneurs, enabling the use of existing resources and expanding business beyond traditional food-grade milk processing. Additionally, after the project concludes, new opportunities may arise for companies in the bioindustry and forest industry to expand their operations by utilizing agricultural side streams.

Partners

EIP project partners:

• Petri Hovi, Hovin tila
• Vesa Lapatto, Lapaton maatalousyhtymä
• Ari Mäkelä, toimitusjohtaja, Osuuskunta Tuottajain Maito