Friday 10 January 2020

Solar powered beer from AB InBev

Solar powered beer from AB InBev

Drinkers, your next bottle of Budweiser could be brewed with 100% renewable electricity thanks to AB InBev’s deal with BayWa r.e..

The 10-year Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) will see power supplied from two solar farms with a combined output of almost 200 megawatts of which AB InBev will be supplied with over 130 megawatts.

This, says BayWa r.e., makes it the largest Pan-European corporate solar power deal in history. It covers AB InBev’s 14 breweries in Western Europe and over 50 brands brewed and sold across 12 countries, including Budweiser.

BayWa r.e. will fund and develop two new solar sites in Spain, one of which will be called the Budweiser Solar Farm.

AB InBev’s European brewing operations produce over 55 million kegs of beer each year and around five million bottles of Budweiser each week. Budweiser is now AB InBev’s biggest brand in Europe, following its launch in France and the Netherlands last year.

The new solar capacity is expected to be connected by March 2022. Before then, BayWa r.e. will provide AB InBev with 75 gigawatt hours of Guarantees of Origin from its wind farm in Zaragoza, Spain.

Once all Budweiser in Western Europe is brewed renewably, the brand will feature a new symbol on the pack to encourage consumers to choose a beer brewed with 100% renewable electricity.

Jason Warner, President for Europe at AB InBev, said:“We know that sustainability is not just part of our business, it is our business. From recycling CO2 released in the brewing process to eliminating plastic from our packaging, we are constantly looking to not only reduce our environmental impact but to have a net positive effect.”

Matthias Taft, CEO at BayWa r.e., said:“Consumers increasingly want to make ‘green’ choices with the products they buy. Leading brands, like Budweiser, are showing the way and we are proud to be supporting AB InBev in their own renewable energy transition.”

As part of its 2025 Sustainability Goals, AB InBev has committed that all of its purchased electricity will come from renewable sources.

 

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

Trending Articles