Renewable energy is sound brewery business
The need to replace fossil fuels with renewable energy sources became even more pressing when the war in Ukraine put Europe’s natural gas supplies at risk. At Royal Unibrew, the volatile situation was a fresh reminder that the transition to carbon-neutral production was the right policy for the planet and business.
As a leading multi-beverage company with 19 production sites in nine markets, Royal Unibrew has focused on reducing its climate impact for many years. From 2015 to 2021, for example, energy efficiency improvements cut CO2 emissions per hectolitre by 28% while production volumes grew 32%. In 2023, the group achieved three important milestones.
At the largest production site in Faxe, Denmark, construction of a solar park was complete.
New solar park covers 40 percent of plant energy need
A second project at the Faxe site, involved the installation of a heat pump to utilise surplus heat from process cooling systems. The outcome is a 30 percent reduction in heat consumption.
Thirdly, a bioreactor established at Royal Unibrew’s second largest site in Lahti, Finland, has enabled the conversion from fossil-based to bio-based fuel for heating. The bioreactor runs on production by-products, supported by locally produced biogas.
Additional energy efficiency and renewable energy projects are planned at all other Royal Unibrew sites. The group goal is to become 100 percent carbon-neutral by 2025.
