New collaboration will brew alcohol base for hand sanitiser production

Carlsberg, Ørsted and Ree Holding enter a temporary consortium in collaboration with the national police operational staff for emergency production of ethanol for disinfectants based on alcohol base from Carlsberg’s brewery in Fredericia.

The world market for the supply of several key components to the health care system and society in general is under pressure. This applies not least to ethanol for disinfection, and Denmark therefore needs to increase its own production to get through the COVID-19 crisis safely and quickly.

The production is to be used in disinfectants such as hand sanitiser, which are essential for limiting the spread of infection on e.g. hospitals, in emergency preparedness, and in the country’s businesses, which will be crucial in the gradual reopening of society.

The production of ethanol will take place at Ørsted’s former demonstration plant for second-generation bioethanol production.

As part of the consortium, Carlsberg has agreed to restructure a large part of its production in Fredericia to supply the alcohol base to the plant. Ten tankers will operate 24 hours a day to supply 1.4 million liters of alcohol base per week to keep the plant running.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Carlsberg Foundation have decided to allocate a total of DKK 17.5 million to the temporary consortium.

Source: The Carlsberg Foundation