An energy-saving brew

• A brewery renewed its plant technology and implemented energy-efficiency measures
• The investment of € 1.8 million led to a yearly cost reduction of € 238 526

C. & A. Veltins GmbH & Co. KG brews one of the leading premium pils brands in Germany, reporting turnover in the millions of euros and output measured in the millions of hectolitres. The brewhouse is easily the main energy consumer in its brewery operation.

It was decided to renew the plant and implement measures to optimise brewing efficiency based on  Krones AG's  'EquiTherm' technology, which uses waste heat from the brewing process in a specially designed heat exchanger. Energy remaining after high-temperature boiling of key ingredients is used to reduce energy inputs for other processes. Excess process heat is further recovered for heating the mashing pan. Addtional energy-efficient components, such as pumps and boilers, were installed in the brewhouse.

Key results

The total investment of € 1.8 million in these measures implemented in the brewing house led to a 35 % energy saving, and a yearly cost reduction of € 238 526. The payback on the investment is expected to take 8 years.