Heineken to install heat pump network at Manchester brewery to cut emissions

Heineken has announced plans to install a network of heat pumps at its brewery in Manchester as part of its drive to decarbonise UK production sites by 2030.

The UK’s largest pub, beer and cider company said it will invest £25 million in a heat pump network to capture and reuse thermal energy to brew and package beer at the factory in Hulme.

It is part of the firm’s aim to reach net zero emissions across its global operations by 2030, including UK sites in Tadcaster and Hereford.

The investment, which includes a £3.7 million grant from the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, will be used to install technology to capture heat from sources including the refrigeration units on site.

The heat will be redistributed and reused to power other brewing stages, such as mashing, pasteurisation and washing returnable kegs.

The heat pump system will replace gas, which has been used to generate the heat needed for certain parts of the brewing process.

Heineken estimates it will result in a 45% reduction in gas use at the site, with work expected to be finished by the end of 2024.

Boudewijn Haarsma, managing director of Heineken UK, said: “We’ve been around for 150 years and if we want to be here in another 150 years, we need to act now to deliver on our sustainability ambitions.

“In short, we want to brew a better world.

“There’s been a brewery at this site for well over 100 years, and we’ve been proudly brewing in Manchester for 15 years.

“With the city of Manchester’s ambition to reach net zero by 2038, we want to play our part in this journey for the city and its people, and to share the learnings we gather along the way.”

Lord Callanan, minister for energy efficiency and green finance, said: “Heat pumps are key to helping us to decarbonise our heating and I’m delighted to see Government funding go towards such an innovative scheme that will help cut emissions and show other businesses how to move away from costly fossil fuels.”

Heineken, the company behind household name brands including Birra Moretti, Foster’s, Strongbow and Cruzcampo, is thought to be the first beverage company of this scale in the UK to install this technology.