Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) says it has now brewed 50 million beers using solar energy at its Abbotsford brewery.
The sustainability milestone was achieved after the 118-year-old brewery installed more than 4000 solar panels in 2020.
The Asahi-owned brewery said its 1.75 MWp solar installation at Abbotsford is a “big step” towards achieving the Japanese company’s global sustainability goals, including sourcing all its energy supply from renewable sources by 2025.
Hayden Turner, CUB’s head of classic brands, said the panels were spread across 8800sqm – about half the area of the MCG playing surface and the largest solar installation in Victoria.
“While the solar panels are not enough to power the entire brewery, our goal is to ensure Abbotsford is powered entirely by a mix of directly sourced and offset solar electricity,” said Turner.
Smart Commercial Solar led the project for CUB in partnership with AMPYR Energy.
Maximilian Stenning, GM at Smart, said the panel installation was one of the most complex projects the company has worked on in the country.
“Delivering a project of this scale for Australia’s leading beverages company underscores the commercial strength of solar,” said Stenning.
“Renewables are now even more viable because of the need for energy resilience in today’s market.
“We completed the project without disruption to operations while working through the challenges posed by an operating brewery and a pandemic.”
