(Photo: Frédérique Voisin-Demery)
Pictured above is Beaufort cheese. It's tasty, slices easily for crackers, and goes well with a Cabernet sauvignon. It's also a source of electrical power in Albertville, Savoie, France. Skimmed whey from the cheesemaking process is used as a biogas to generate electrical power for the town. The Daily Telegraph explains:
After full-fat milk is used to make Beaufort cheese, whey and cream are left over. The cream is taken to make ricotta cheese, butter and protein powder, which is used as a food supplement.
The residual skimmed whey is then placed in a tank with bacteria, where natural fermentation produces methane in the same way that the gas is produced in cows’ stomachs.
The gas is then fed through an engine that heats water to 90 degrees C and generates electricity. The plant will produce about 2.8 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, enough electricity to supply a community of 1,500 people, Mr Decker told Le Parisien newspaper.
-via VA Viper