Siemens selected for multiphase decarbonisation programme at HEINEKEN production sites

Siemens and HEINEKEN will work together on a long-term decarbonisation programme, which will see Siemens implementing solutions and services from its Siemens Xcelerator portfolio to reduce energy usage at more than 15 HEINEKEN beer and malt production sites, spanning facilities across Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and Europe. Additional sites will be added in a second phase.

The two global players collaborated on an initial project covering consulting, auditing, and advisory services, using an energy digital twin to simulate and analyse a typical HEINEKEN brewery in the virtual world, identifying where significant energy savings could be made.

The simulation showed that approximately 70 per cent of the energy use was linked to the heating and cooling that is necessary for the brewing process.

By optimising and monitoring these cooling and heating systems through an end-to-end initiative, Siemens estimates energy savings of between 15-20 per cent at each site, and an average CO₂ reduction of 50 per cent at each facility.

Dolf van den Brink, HEINEKEN CEO and chairman of the Executive Board said, “As we continue to focus on the delivery of our journey to reach net-zero in Scope 1 and 2, we know that we must make many bold and ambitious moves to decarbonise our global operations.”

“Undertaking these challenges with partners like Siemens allows us to bring in technical expertise and industry knowledge to innovate quickly and at scale. We are excited to continue on this journey with partners who are committed to pioneering and localising next-generation solutions to help us reach our net-zero goals,” van den Brink continued.

To achieve the targeted reductions in energy usage and CO₂ emissions, Siemens will deploy an end-to-end suite of solutions and services which are scalable and replicable across HEINEKEN’s global production sites.

Using operational data in combination with the energy digital twin at each site, Siemens will design, engineer, and implement a system to drive heating and cooling efficiency using heat pumps powered by renewable energy, reducing the reliance on steam generated by fossil fuels.

The system will be monitored, controlled, and optimised using Siemens Cooling Plant Optimisation algorithms, which use built-in analytics to analyse data from the plant to reduce energy costs and ensure operational efficiency.

“We’re proud to be a partner to HEINEKEN’s Net-Zero roadmap; an ambitious journey to reach net-zero by 2030,” said Matthias Rebellius, managing board member of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure.

“Working with HEINEKEN as a partner in this way demonstrates a thoroughly modern approach to data-driven decarbonisation. By collaborating on an end-to-end scheme, we’re able to combine hardware, software, and analytics to predict and deliver the long-term results that are now crucial in every industry.”

As part of the long-term partnership agreement, Siemens will also deliver a five-year performance and monitoring contract, connecting the breweries to Siemens systems which use data services to remotely monitor the production sites, ensuring the best solution is operated at all times.

In 2023 HEINEKEN’s net-zero and forest, land, and agriculture targets were approved by the Science-Based Targets initiative, making it the first global brewer to pass this sustainability milestone.

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The Heineken brand creates good times from renewable energy For the past 150 years, the Heineken brand has been delighting consumers in over 190 countries around the world with its superior quality products and memorable experiences had while drinking its cold beer. Committed to another century and a half of good times and beyond, the brand has added one more ingredient to its brewing practices.

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