AB InBev inks 100% renewables deal for European breweries

Global brewer AB InBev has signed a 10-year agreement with global energy giant BayWa r.e to purchase 100% renewable electricity to power its Western European breweries.


AB InBev inks 100% renewables deal for European breweries

In December 2018

The owner of brands such as Budweiser and Corona has signed a 10-year Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with BayWa r.e., which the brewer claims is the largest Pan-European corporate solar power deal in history.

BayWa r.e. will develop two new solar farms in Spain, one of which will be called the Budweiser Solar Farm, which will provide 250 gigawatt-hours of renewable electricity annually for AB InBev’s 14 breweries in Western Europe and more than 50 brands brewed and sold across 12 countries.

AB InBev’s zone president for Europe Jason Warner said: “As we welcome the new European Green Deal, we now ask our consumers, customers, colleagues, business partners and fellow companies to join us in shifting towards renewable power – we are making our 100% renewable electricity symbol available for any brands that are produced with renewables.

“This symbol is about driving positive change in what people buy in their weekly shop, order at the bar or drink with friends.”

The new solar farms are expected to come online in March 2022. In the meantime, BayWa r.e. will provide AB InBev with 75GWh of Guarantees of Origin from its wind farm “La Muela” in Zaragoza, Spain.

Over the duration of the PPA, enough renewable electricity will be generated to power the equivalent of almost 670,000 European homes.

In December 2018, AB InBev secured a deal to purchase 100% renewable electricity for its UK operations.

AB In Bev’s agreement with Europe’s largest solar energy Lightsoruce BP represents the largest unsubsidised solar deal ever in the UK. The 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) will rollout 100MW of solar power, generating enough electricity to power 18,000 homes.

The solar power is expected to be added and connected by the end of 2020. All Budweiser brewed and sold in the UK will begin to feature a new symbol to encourage consumers to choose a beer brewed with 100% renewable electricity.

Matt Mace

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