Large-scale solar plants for various process steps (mashing, pasteurisation and drying) implemented at the Austrian brewery Göss.
Solar technologies are now an issue for many industrial processes in the temperature range up to 400° C. The use of solar heat is economically attractive, especially for industrial processes with a heat requirement below 100° C. Breweries have particularly good conditions for increasing energy efficiency through solar energy: The heat requirement there is mainly at a temperature level between 50 and 100° C. With the support of the Austrian Climate and Energy Fund, the Heineken Group, which has also included Brau Union Österreich AG since 2003, is implementing solar process heat applications for breweries and malting plants in the output range above 1 MWth on a large industrial scale. The concept of "green brewery" is one of the group's long-term corporate goals.
Resources needed
Total funding of the concept implementation accounted for 3.1 mil EUR, financed by the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).
Evidence of success
The Göss brewery has received several awards for this project: Among others with the Energy Globe Austria, the EU Sustainable Energy Award including the EU Citizens Choice Award among others. Achievements include:
- Meeting close to 40% of brewery heat requirement;
- Around 90% of the waste heat generated during the brewing process is used to heat process;
- The solar plant covering an area of around 1,500 m² generates environmentally friendly energy.
Potential for learning or transfer
Since all breweries and malting plants have similar energy supply structures, a multiplier effect within the industry can be achieved, from the realization of the demonstration plants. The green brewery methodology demonstrated the potential that can aid reduction of thermal energy consumption in other breweries, and lowering fossil CO2 emissions. Optimization of heat recovery can potentially supply its thermal energy demand over own brewery`s resources, and achieve positive relation between the energy produced from biogas (from biogenic residues of breweries) and waste water, exceeding the remaining thermal process energy demand by produced beer.
