Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I—the UK division of international brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev—is collaborating with Protium, the UK’s leading green hydrogen energy services company, to work towards creating the first green hydrogen supply to a brewery.
Budweiser Brewing Group To Go Green With Hydrogen At Wales Brewery, An Integral Part Of Plan For Brewery To Become Carbon Neutral. Image Credit: nimish bhabal/Shutterstock.com
This collaboration is focused on one of the UK’s largest breweries: the Magor brewery in South Wales.
Budweiser Brewing Group is already working towards a number of ambitious sustainability objectives, but this project would see the company at the forefront of sustainable business practices as it works to build the first large-scale hydrogen generation system at a brewery.
This endeavor will see the brewery’s production and its key logistics assets, such as Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) and forklift trucks, all fueled by hydrogen. Meanwhile, the brewery will take an important step towards carbon neutrality through the use of green hydrogen technology to help provide zero-carbon power and fuel for its operations.
Where the energy for its production originates from renewable sources, these are considered zero greenhouse gas emissions associated with hydrogen generation. Hydrogen produced in this manner is typically referred to as ‘green’ hydrogen.
Hydrogen also exhibits excellent potential as a fuel source, due to its status as the lightest and the most abundant element in the known universe. Hydrogen also acts as a potent energy carrier, affording it a central role in the vital transition to a decarbonized global economy.
Lesley Griffiths MS, Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales and Trefnydd, highlighted the importance of this project to the local area: “I am very pleased this project is taking place right here in Wales. Tackling climate change is a priority for the Welsh Government and this project at an important employer in the sector will be important to our efforts. It also has the potential to create new jobs and exciting opportunities in the area for years to come.”
Protium’s Hydrogen Production Facility (HPF) is adjacent to the brewery, and this will manufacture the required green hydrogen using Budweiser Brewing Group’s existing on-site wind and solar assets and Protium’s own renewable energy sources.
Image Credit: petrmalinak/Shutterstock.com
The facility is set to include a battery and hydrogen storage unit, while a hydrogen refueling station for HGVs will save around 15500 tons of CO2 per year from 2027 onwards. This is equivalent to removing around 3,300 cars from UK roads, or 12,000 long-haul flights annually.
This exciting project could see Budweiser Brewing Group lay the foundations of a more sustainable future for the wider brewing industry. Anheuser-Busch InBev has already defined bold sustainability goals, with the company aiming to source 100% of its electricity throughout its worldwide operations from renewable sources by 2025.
Sustainability and the wellbeing of our planet are at the core of our business. Innovative energy solutions like hydrogen have huge potential as a key part of our sustainability strategy, helping us significantly reduce our UK carbon footprint.
Mauricio Coindreau, Head of Sustainability and Procurement, Budweiser Brewing Group
As part of its ongoing sustainability efforts, the company announced last year that all of the barley used to brew its beers in the UK is now sourced from British farms, reducing carbon emissions linked to importation while supporting local providers and agriculture. It also removed all of the plastic rings from its beers while reducing its plastic shrink wrap use, removing 850 tons of plastic waste from its supply chain.
By working with the intermittent nature of renewable electricity and leveraging this in combination with hydrogen, it will be possible to create a natural, complementary, and emissions-free energy solution for the company’s production and supply chains.
“As a company we are committed to continuously exploring technology that can help us meet our ambitious 2025 Sustainability Goals, so the key focus of this project is to ensure the efficient operation, application, and sustainability advantages of green hydrogen.” Mauricio Coindreau continued.
Green hydrogen is a truly exciting opportunity for the global energy sector and the UK economy as a whole, with various energy leaders and environmentalists supporting its deployment, so we’re delighted to be working with a brand that shares our forward-thinking vision.
Chris Jackson. CEO, Protium
It is anticipated that the project will be fully commercially operational by 2024. This will represent one of the first deployments of a hydrogen purchase agreement (HPA) between these two organizations, creating an initial commercial platform for the hydrogen economy through the use of long-term zero-emission off-take agreements.
References:
Protium. (2021). Budweiser Brewing Group To Go Green With Hydrogen At Wales Brewery, An Integral Part Of Plan For Brewery To Become Carbon Neutral. https://protium.green/news/budweiser-brewing-group-to-go-green-with-hydrogen-at-wales-brewery-an-integral-part-of-plan-for-brewery-to-become-carbon-neutral/
Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I. (2021). Budweiser Brewing Group To Go Green with Hydrogen https://budweiserbrewinggroup.co.uk/site/news/company/budweiser-brewing-group/budweiser-brewing-group-go-green-with-hydrogen-at-wales-brewery/
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author expressed in their private capacity and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited T/A AZoNetwork the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and conditions of use of this website.