Dutch beer brand Heineken is committed to pursuing sustainable brewing and clean energy as part of its business priorities over the long term.
"Heineken recognises that business growth and sustainability are interconnected. The company's 'Brew a Better World' vision promotes water stewardship, reducing CO2 emissions, sourcing sustainably, advocating responsible consumption, promoting health and safety, and growing with communities," said Thum Chee Yuen, managing director of Thai Asia-Pacific Brewery (TAP), the brewer and distributor of Heineken in Thailand.
"This initiative is one of Heineken's six main business priorities."
He said Heineken is determined to achieve 100% renewable energy in its brewing operations, supporting its overarching goal of achieving net-zero emissions from all its production sites by 2030 and carbon neutrality across the entire value chain by 2040.
TAP Group took a significant step towards sustainable brewing since May 2022, aligning with Heineken's commitment to sustainability.
TAP contributed to Heineken's Brew a Better World sustainable development strategy by installing a 1.2 megawatts-peak solar power plant at its brewery in Nonthaburi.
TAP's "Brewed by the Sun" scheme follows the Brew a Better World strategy, aimed at reducing its environmental footprint from beer production activities by adopting solar power at its production sites.
"This initiative supports Heineken's target of achieving net-zero emissions across all production sites by 2030. It is the latest step taken by the company on its journey towards more sustainable brewing," said Mr Thum.
TAP teamed up with Blueleaf Energy, a renewable energy firm in Asia-Pacific, for the Brewed by the Sun photovoltaic project. More than 2,900 solar panels have been installed at TAP's brewery covering an area of four acres, equivalent to two football fields.
The solar farm can generate 30% of the electricity required for the brewhouse.
When the solar farm is fully operational, the use of renewable energy will reduce 720 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year, or 1.48 kgCO2e/hl, from beer production, he said.
This scheme is scheduled to run for the next decade.
While the installation of solar panels at TAP's brewery marks a significant milestone towards sustainable brewing, it is only the beginning of the company's journey, said Mr Thum.
"As a socially responsible business, reducing carbon emissions, protecting water resources, and advocating for the responsible consumption of alcohol form key pillars that drive TAP's corporate sustainability strategy and Brew a Better World -- our long-term approach to creating shared and sustainable value for our stakeholders and communities where we operate," he said.
In order to preserve a healthy environment for present and future generations, TAP formulated a 2030 Environment & Sustainability Roadmap focusing on lowering the company's environmental impact from beer production activities by embracing renewable energy, such as solar power, at its production sites.
TAP's environmental sustainability strategy is centred on three key objectives: achieving carbon neutrality, promoting circularity, and conserving water resources.
The company already made significant progress towards its zero-landfill objective, with only 0.4% of municipal waste remaining as of 2022.
By 2025, TAP plans to implement a 100% renewable electricity plan for production, resulting in a reduction of 12,600 tonnes per year of CO2e. Even more ambitious is TAP's goal to reduce CO2e by 21,300 tonnes per year by 2030.
"In everything we do, we are ensuring a healthy environment for current and future generations. This is an important milestone in our efforts to reduce our CO2 output for our next growth chapter," said Mr Thum.
"Our ambition and targets are in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, achieving results that meet Heineken's commitment on our path to net zero. Everyone has a role to play in contributing to climate action, and we see this as our responsibility to act now."
With its sustainability roadmap, TAP is committed to raising the bar for environmental and social sustainability, as well as promoting responsible consumption, he said.
By pursuing these initiatives, TAP is moving towards achieving net zero and creating a world that is fairer and healthier for all, Mr Thum said.