Energy Procurement, GHG Emissions, Industrial  -  November 27, 2017

Carlsberg brewery reaches zero emissions in Sweden

^{Aerial shot of Carlsberg Group's Falkenberg brewery, which is now operating with zero carbon emissions, provided by Carlsberg Group.} 

Global beverage company Carlsberg Group says it is running Sweden's first big brewery with zero carbon emissions from its energy consumption.

The brewery in Falkenberg is now 100% powered by biogas and green electricity, which reduces the brewery's carbon emissions from thermal energy and electricity to zero, the company said in a statement Nov. 27. 

The news supports the Carlsberg Group's recently launched sustainability program: "Together Towards Zero." One of its four related ambitions, "Zero Carbon Footprint," is supported by a target to eliminate carbon emissions from all breweries and achieving a 30% reduction in the beer-in-hand carbon footprint by 2030. To achieve the ambitious targets, Carlsberg Group's breweries will use 100% renewable electricity and eliminate coal as a source of energy by 2022, the company said. 

The Falkenberg brewery has been using green electricity for many years, and 26% of the thermal energy comes from biogas generated from the brewery's own wastewater. The remaining 74% have so far been natural gas, which has now, in cooperation with energy supplier Ørsted AB, been converted to biogas with certificates ensuring that the biogas supplied to the grid has replaced an equivalent amount of natural gas.

"For many, many years we have been working to create a more efficient brewery with as little impact on our environment as possible," Carlsberg managing director Ted Akiskalos said in a statement. "This is clear when looking at how much we have reduced our energy consumption over the years. It is motivating that we now take a big step forward and use solely carbon neutral energy sources." 

In Sweden, the well-functioning infrastructure and availability of biogas from the grid makes it possible to convert to fully renewable sources by buying green energy, while other solutions will be deployed for markets where this is not an option, the company said. Carlsberg Group has said it will rely on the best available options for developing and sourcing sustainable energy, including the establishment of solar panels and purchasing renewable energy where possible.

Through the Science-Based Targets initiative, Carlsberg Group has set a 1.5-degree ambition compared to the Paris agreement's base-level 2-degree goal.

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