Tuesday 5 November 2019

Asahi toasts wind energy PPA for Polish breweries

The Polish subsidiary of Japanese brewer Asahi has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for renewable electricity for its breweries in Poland.

Kompania Piwowarska's 10-year agreement with German utility innogy will see the supplier provide green power from its Nowy Staw onshore wind farm.

Asahi Breweries Europe Group operates three breweries in Poland – Tyskie Broway Książęce in Tychy, the Dojlidy Brewery in Białystok and Lech Browary Wielkopolski in Poznań – through the local subsidiary Kompania Piwowarska.

The wind farm, with a total capacity of 73MW, will supply 30GWh of electricity annually for the breweries from 2020, covering around 40% of their power needs.

From 2021, Nowy Staw is expected to cover 100% of the breweries' elecricity requirements through the planned expansion of the existing wind farm by up to 11MW.

It will therefore supply up to 80GWh per year to the three Polish breweries.

It is believed to be the first time a PPA has been signed in Poland for supply from a planned wind farm that is not benefitting from any state support to produce renewable energy.

Paolo Lanzarotti, CEO of Asahi Breweries Europe Group said: “I am excited that as soon as in 2021, we will be brewing a third of our volume in Central Europe with 100% renewable electricity. This is the equivalent of three billion beer bottles every year. In Poland, we will thus be able to reduce our carbon footprint by 66% compared to 2019.

“This deal is a significant commitment that not only helps us come closer to the Asahi Group ambition of becoming carbon neutral across whole supply chain by 2050 but also lays the ground for innogy to invest in a new onshore construction project that will support Poland’s transition towards renewable energy.”