New Belgium Brewery has cut its natural gas consumption from the beer-making process in half using a brew kettle that boils twice as fast.
The Steinecker Merlin brew kettle, only the second to be installed in the U.S. when it went online in 2005, saves energy by boiling thin sheets of wort - the liquid extracted from the mashing process during the brewing - instead of heating the entire kettle at once. Steam released during the brewing process is recaptured and stored for the next batch, enabling the kettle to boil again more quickly.
The savings have been detailed in the company's first-ever sustainability report, released last week. Other highlights include include:
- An on-site cogeneration system, powered by methane from the brewery's wastewater treatment plant, which provides 15% of the electricity and heat for the brewery itself.
- A new 55,000-square-foot packaging hall whose interior is constructed from pines trees killed by beetle infestation. The packaging hall is air-conditioned with energy-saving evaporative coolers.
New Belgium's total natural gas consumption increased last year thanks to the new packaging hall but the company says that, in addition to the energy saved via the facility's conditioning system, it expects to further reduce energy use as plant efficiency increases over time.
Since 1999, New Belgium has purchased all of its electricity through a wind power program sponsored by the city of Fort Collins, Colo. At the time, it was the largest private consumer of wind-power electricity in the U.S.
Download New Belgium's 2007 sustainability report here (PDF). Read more about the company's efforts in our interview with chief brandinig officer Greg Owsley.
