Kompania Piwowarska reduces carbon dioxide emissions across its breweries

Kompania Piwowarska, the leader in the Polish beer market, has installed an innovative solution at its brewery in Tychy. The state-of-the-art energy recovery system is based on a heat pump and marks a breakthrough towards sustainable production, contributing to a significant 15% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

Brewing beer is a process that requires a large amount of thermal energy. Limiting emissions associated with obtaining this type of energy poses a significant challenge. The predominant source of thermal energy in Kompania Piwowarska's breweries is the combustion of natural gas - this method is used, at Tyskie Browary Książęce and Lech Browary Wielkopolski, among other facilities. Towards the end of 2023, an investment in modern heat pumps was completed at the brewery in Tychy, aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing CO₂ emissions associated with the brewery's operations.

– This innovative solution involves capturing thermal energy from the beer cooling process in fermenters and maturation tanks – large vertical containers located in the brewery – and reusing it to generate hot water. With the use of a heat pump and the system’s combined electrical power of 500 kW, we are able to obtain up to 1500 kW of thermal energy. Thanks to this solution, we will reduce our natural gas consumption by 15%, consequently reducing CO₂ emissions by 15% at the brewery in Tychy. The generated energy is utilized for heating water for central heating purposes and for the brewery's cleaning processes – commented Piotr Noras, Chief Technical Officer.

The heat pump investment is part of the company's strategy called “Better Future 2030”, which combines business plans with sustainability ambitions. The business objectives outlined in the strategy are on par with environmental goals. The company’s environmental priorities include the goal to achieve carbon neutrality in its breweries by 2030. By 2050, Kompania Piwowarska aims to achieve complete carbon neutrality across the entire supply chain.

In the first quarter of 2024, Kompania Piwowarska plans to complete the installation of additional heat pumps at the brewery in Poznań. The investment will contribute to a 19% reduction in emissions at the brewery. These two projects will result in a 15% reduction in CO₂ emissions annually across all company breweries. The total cost of the investment in both locations is 25 million Polish zlotys.