Researchers from Spain and Nicaragua Invent Machine That Pasteurizes Milk With Solar Energy
A new machine that pasteurizes milk by using solar energy was recently installed in Nicaragua, thanks to researchers from the Agrarian University of Nicaragua and Spain’s University of Lérida. The primary goal for the machine is to help communities to save money. With its use of clean energy, it will also help to curtail global warming and perhaps will eventually help Nicaraguans to start new businesses.
Right now, the machine is primarily used like a small factory to make cheese as well as other dairy products. It is currently housed in the Agrarian University of Nicaragua’s Department of Animal Sciences. Solar panels contribute the energy for a mechanical system that heats the milk to 185° Fahrenheit (85° Centrigrade). Approximately 240 liters of milk can produced in 6 hours using the prototype.
The machine’s arrival and its probable success is good news for Nicaragua and many other developing countries. The prototype was made from resources found locally, and will hopefully serve as a model for others who might want to make such a machine from easy to find materials. The design plans for the invention will eventually be made public via the internet.
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According to the primary source for this story (in Spanish), almost all milk produced in Nicaragua is currently not pasteurized, meaning that people must boil their milk to eliminate parasites: a huge cost in energy for people who do not have a lot of money. The new machine, which was designed by the Spanish researchers and then built by their Nicaraguan counterparts, eliminates all of these parasites and makes milk that can be used in products that will meet international health standards. According to one of the project’s leaders, University of Lérida Professor Joan Ignasi Rosell, this clean technology comes with an additional benefit as it might eventually increase Nicaragua’s economic business possibilities for exporting products made from milk.
It is estimated that 12 to 14% of greenhouse gases worldwide are produced during milk production, and so this technology will help combat global warming by reducing the carbon emissions produced during pasteurization of milk. More specifically, the technology will help Nicaraguans use less electricity (and money) to purify milk. Importation of pasteurized milk from other countries who produce emissions to make the milk will also, in theory, be reduced.
The project was mostly funded by the University of Lérida’s Center On International Cooperation and cost about 40,000 dollars. * The researchers from the two countries did the majority of their work together over the internet.
* The article originally linked to another Center on International Cooperation located in the U.S. The link now points to the accurate supporter of this project.
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Photo Credit: Striatic on Flickr under a Creative Commons license
This is great news. I am a firm believer that human innovation can solve problems when push comes to shove. With energy prices going higher, innovation occurs, things that were not economically viable, are now available options. I think there are endless applications for solar energy in developing countries such as Nicaragua and others. Similar to cellular technology allowing remote locations to take big leaps in communication, solar will allow great leaps in allowing families and business’s to save money and generate new forms of commerce opportunity.
Hi, nice story.
I wanted to warn you of a possible mistake. In the original story in Spanish it says that the funding came through the Center of International Cooperation of the University of Lleida (Lerida), so I do not think that it is the same Center that you are linking to, which seems to be focused in conflict prevention, more than anything.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t pasteurization developed to combat tuberculosis? I wasn’t aware that parasites were a huge problem in any milk source, except perhaps in very localized outbreaks. Small farmers around the world drink fresh milk straight from thier own cows with no worry of parasites and no boiling. It is in large-scale dairy operations where milk is prepared, packaged, shipped, and eventually consumed on a massive scale where T.B. problems come in to play, but the parasite thing is new to me.
Thanks for all of your comments.
Jose, thanks for bringing this inaccuracy to my attention. While reading in my second language I often miss certain details. I will fix the link and put a note that the original link was incorrect. Thanks!
Cchiovitti, I had to look up the answer to your question and consult with a few people. T.B. is definitely one reason for pasteurization, but milk can also have parasites, and for that reason many people in developing and non-developing countries boil it. Of course, there are those people that might not boil it for certain reasons and might develop an immunity (or cope) with any parasites in the milk at an early age.
The best comparison I can make is how I’ve meet a few people in the U.S. who can drink water from forest streams and not get giardia.
Wikipedia’s page on pasteurization has some good information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasteurization
Cheers!
[...] Researchers from Spain and Nicaragua Invent Machine That …A machine that pasteurizes milk by using solar energy was recently installed in Nicaragua, thanks to researchers from the Agrarian University of Nicaragua and Spain’s University of Lérida. The machine will help several communities in … [...]
Man-chine?