SCOTLAND – BrewDog, an Ellon -based multinational brewery and pub chain, has commissioned £12 million (US$ 12.62 million) for a new on-site green gas plant in a move that will reduce emissions by powering facilities with self-generated green gas.
The new bio-energy plant will power the production of over 176 million pints of beer each year, emitting 7,500 fewer tonnes of carbon emissions annually when the facility is running at full capacity.
Since its brewery in Ellon opened in 2013, BrewDog says it has reduced the volume of water it takes to make its beer by more than 50 percent.
BrewDog adds that the anaerobic digester will help the company recycle most of the 200 million liters of wastewater that is still produced annually, as well as generate bio-methane to power the brewery’s boilers.
At the plant, BrewDog will combine wastewater with spent yeast and hops from its brewing process to be ‘digested’ by bacteria to produce biomethane.
The company plans to use the CO₂ created by the digester during the anaerobic respiration to carbonate its beer in the next few years.
When fully operational, the digester will create around 200 cubic meters of biomethane per hour, equivalent to around 23,000 MWh of energy per year and enough to heat more than 1,500 homes.
The digester joins a portfolio of technologies and initiatives from the company, designed to reduce its carbon emissions.
For example, its Australian brewery generates 16MWh of energy a month through solar panels on its roof and the company’s US brewery is set to follow suit with its own solar array.
Sarah Warman, BrewDog’s director of sustainability, commented: “We’re not just here to make great beer – we’re making great beer that doesn’t cost the earth. Our ambition is nothing short of making BrewDog beer the most planet-friendly beer on Earth.
We’ve taken giant strides towards that goal with our new bio-energy plant. Our number one sustainability goal is to reduce emissions and we want to lead the way for the entire brewing industry.”
The facility is part of the company’s £ 50 million (US$ 52.61M) investment plan to cut carbon emissions per hectolitre of beer by 35% versus its baseline in 2019.
Meanwhile, the company, recently opened canning plant is set to deliver cans that boast a carbon footprint that is 35 percent lower than bottled beer, with the firm working towards ensuring all its cans are made from 100 percent recycled aluminum.
Additionally, in May 2021, the brewer announced the selling of its glass bottling line as it plans to shift towards cans in an effort to reach net-zero carbon emissions.
The Scottish brewer had listed its Krones 46,000 BPH Glass Bottling Line, which was installed in 2017, on eBay for £ 2 million, according to MetalPackager.
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