The famous Castlemaine Perkins Brewery in Brisbane, home of Queensland’s XXXX beer, has completed a $2 million commercial rooftop solar installation.
Some 2,200 solar panels now adorn the brewery in the inner suburb of Milton, which has produced beer since 1878.
The 690 kW system will generate about 1.4 gigawatt hours of power annually, according to the brewer.
XXXX cuts costs with commercial rooftop solar installation
Japanese company Lion now owns the historic Milton Road brewery.
Lion’s supply chain director Ian Roberts said the solar panel investment will reduce emissions at the site by 7 per cent.
“We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint and being a good neighbour to the many residents and businesses that call Milton home,” he said.
Lion has also committed to reducing emissions by 30 per cent by 2025, from its 2015 baseline.
In addition to using solar power, the brewery also has a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis plant. This reuses wastewater, enabling XXXX Gold to be produced at a ratio of 2.8 litres of water for every litre of beer.
Apart from XXXX, Lion also makes the James Boag, Tooheys, Little Creatures, Hahn, Furphy, Iron Jack, James Squire, Emu and Swan beer brands.
Carlton & United Breweries goes solar
The Queensland brewery isn’t the only one looking to fuel its operations with clean energy.
A commercial rooftop solar installation is not always possible. So for Carlton & United Breweries (CUB), it began sourcing energy from the 12 MW Karadoc solar farm in Victoria last year.
Australia’s largest brewery, CUB signed a power purchase agreement with the German-owned Victorian solar farm.
Shifting to renewable energy then ensures certainty of supply and pricing. Both are essential for any manufacturing process.
Breweries source clean energy around Australia
According to an October 2018 report by Origin Energy, many other breweries are also looking for sustainable sources of power.
The Grove Distillery in WA is off-grid, making it the first fully solar-powered distillery in the country, the report states.
Young Henry’s in Sydney’s Newtown also has a 30 kW commercial rooftop solar installation. The 120 solar panels that supply around 25 per cent of power.
The Grand Ridge Brewery in Victoria’s Gippsland region has had a commercial rooftop solar since 2014. According to Origin, it has 384 solar panels, transitioning the majority of its energy consumption to solar.
The trend reflects the growing desire for beer drinkers to associate their brand of choice with clean energy and sustainable production.
