Carlsberg: Using renewable energy as key component in sustainability programme
Carlsberg’s “Together Towards ZERO and Beyond” sustainability programme set high targets for decarbonising its breweries. A Power Purchase Agreement allowed it to make renewable energy a key part of its strategy.
Acting on an impactful sustainability programme
By 2030, all electricity must come from renewable sources that contribute new green power to the grid. This is one of the ambitious targets in Carlsberg’s ESG programme and sustainability strategy, “Together Towards ZERO and Beyond.”
The programme sets clear, impactful goals and guides the efforts to reduce the brewery’s environmental footprint. including sourcing all electricity from renewable power by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality across all breweries by the same year.
In 2022, the electricity offtake of its Frederica brewery in Denmark presented an opportunity to create part of the impact the ESG programme sets out. But how could Carlsberg make sure to purchase green power with an impact beyond its own electricity consumption?
This was one of the considerations for Simon Boas Hoffmeyer, VP, Global Head of Sustainability & ESG at Carlsberg Group.
"At Carlsberg, we have already taken several steps towards greening our operations, but we can do more and we are ambitious,” he explained.
Brewing with locally produced green energy
Carlsberg chose to offtake renewable energy through a 10-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Better Energy. The PPA is providing 29 GWh of renewable energy annually for the Frederica brewery.
Along with securing green energy for its brewery, Carlsberg used its power purchase to contribute to establishing Better Energy’s Fraugde Solar Park. This was a way to add more renewable energy to the Danish electricity grid.
“We are pleased to contribute to the green transition in Denmark by adding more green power to the Danish grid," says Simon Boas Hoffmeyer.
The park is now connected to the Danish grid. It is expected to deliver 81 GWh of renewable energy annually.
Fraugde Solar Park is located on the island of Funen and spans over 70 hectares — equivalent to 105 football fields. Previously, the landscape was used for agricultural activities. Now, the park area provides a reprieve and possibility to recover from using fertilisers and pesticides
Carlsberg takes a significant step toward achieving its ESG program’s carbon-neutrality goals and reaffirms its commitment to a sustainable future by securing long-term renewable power for its Fredericia brewery.