A total of seven million paints have been recycled since May 2020. Old liquors are used to power brewing kettles and pasteuris canning through biofuels, renewable and sustainable green energy. This equates to the power needed to heat around 28,000 homes for a day.
Spitfire engines and a bit of Merlin magic …
UK pubs, bars and restaurants are still closed: and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) estimates that around 87 million paints will be thrown away as a result of a timely closure locked COVID-19 over the past year. This equates to approximately £ 331m ($ 459m) worth of beer.
Heineken, however, has found a way to turn old beer into green energy to power brewing kettles and canning pasteurisers.
The first step is to put back keg filling machines to empty thousands of kegs of old beer: a process that Heineken says is the first thing you do.
The next step is to include a hook piece similar to the one that powered British Spitfire fighter planes during World War II.
“Having successfully found a way to reverse the kegging line, the next step of the all-in-one innovative solution relies on a subtle kegging device that incorporates a very powerful piece of equipment,” Explaining Heineken UK.
“A combined heat and power (CHP) unit that converts biofuels to heat and electricity is aptly named ‘Merlin’ but is affectionately known as a whopping 27 liter engine. V12 – which is similar to the Merlin engine that powered the world-famous Spitfire aircraft. The biofuels are also converted to heat in the site’s steam boilers using the condition of the equipment.
“Thousands of whole chests, which could not be sent to pubs due to the lock, have been emptied and the liquid is stored in empty breweries before being taken to a wastewater treatment plant the site (WWTP). It is then inserted into WWTP’s anaerobic digester that converts alcohol in the liquid to biofuels. The biofuel, which is 100% sustainable and renewable, is then used to supplement the energy required by the site to brew beer and pasteurise and cans. ”
The WWTP has been operating at full capacity processing the equivalent of 70,000 liters of beer per day. As of May 2020, the brewery has processed 83,210 fifty liter keg equivalent to 6,989,640 paints.
Preparing to reopen
England entered their second lockout in November 2020; while the current roadmap out of the country’s lock looks at the possibility of reopening cafes, bars and restaurants with outdoor seating in April. *
Matt Callan, Director of Brewery and Operations at Heineken, said: “After all the care, attention and passion that went into brewing the beer in the first place, it would be a shame for us to pour down the drain – no brewer wants to not enjoy their beer. Our team of engineers and brewers in Manchester found a solution – using our kegging line to empty barrels of beer and convert the leftover beer into green energy to power beer brewing fresh, all ready for when the pubs open.
“We are always looking for innovative new ways to explore a better world, and this solution benefits our drinkers and reduces our impact on the planet.”
Earlier this month, Heineken UK announced the trial of 1.4 million ‘low ultra-carbon bottles’. The bottles use up to 100% recycled glass and are made with low carbon biofueld instead of high carbon natural gas.
Last year, the brewer introduced the Green Grip cardboard toolOn cans of beer and cider to eliminate the need for plastic rings.
* England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own rules and roadmaps out of lockout.