In the United Kingdom, the World Economic Forum and The European Sting reports that cheese waste can be converted into energy to power hundreds of homes. The Wensleydale Creamery is one such cheesemaker that is converting its byproducts into biogas – enough to produce more than 10,000 MWh of energy a year, or enough to heat about 800 homes per year. The whey goes to a local biogas plant that converts it into thermal power.
Another cheesemaker, First Milk has its own plant to convert their whey into biogas. In other countries, like Argentina, researchers have developed a process to make bioethanol from cheese, which would come in handy considering Argentina produces about 9 million tons of whey each year.
France, another country known for making cheese, already has a plant that provides energy for 1,500 homes in the Alps, all from cheese waste and byproducts.