US – Anheuser-Busch, the largest brewing company in the United States, has announced plans to build a new solar power project at its Los Angeles brewing facility in line with efforts to maintain the company’s renewable energy profile.
According to a statement from the subsidiary of Belgium-based AB InBev, the new solar project will be built as part of US$64 million investment into the Los Angeles brewery and is expected to generate more than 10% of the site’s total electricity use.
Eric Gutierrez, Senior General Manager of the Anheuser-Busch Los Angeles in an interview with Forbes revealed that US$32 million will be invested into a new canning lines to drive innovation in the RTD and hard seltzer space while US$13 million will to go towards brewing capabilities.
The company notes that these investment will enable beers from more than 100 brands to be brewed at the site, – more than any other brewery in the Anheuser-Busch network.
The maker of Budweiser is yet to disclose the size or capacity of the installation, but revealed that upon commissioning, the solar project will be largest solar installation of any brewery in the US.
The LA solar investment is part of the brewer’s announcement made earlier this year to invest US$1bn over two years in its facilities to help accelerate the nation’s green recovery and support communities across the US.
“For over 60 years, we have been proud to be a part of the Los Angeles community. With this investment, we are continuing our support for the local economy and reaffirming our leadership on sustainability and product innovation,” Anheuser-Busch’s Los Angeles brewery senior general manager Eric Gutierrez said.
“Reducing our environmental impact while at the same time adding jobs and expanding our ability to brew some of America’s most beloved brands is a ‘win-win’ for the Los Angeles community.”
Earlier this year the brewer revealed that it had achieved 100% renewable electricity for its beverage production activities in the US – a goal originally set for 2025.
In total, Anheuser-Busch has now invested in 12 renewable electricity generation projects across the US. Ten projects are located at flagship breweries, distribution centres and craft partner breweries.
The other two are the Texas solar farm and the 152MW Budweiser Wind Farm at Thunder Ranch, Oklahoma, built as part of a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Enel’s Green Power Arm.
Anheuser-Busch claims that it has added nearly 400MW of renewable electricity generation capacity to the grid in the US, mitigating 950,000 metric tonnes of CO2e related to energy generation from fossil fuels.
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