UK Brewery Embraces Anaerobic Digestion

UK Brewery Goes Green: Turning Beer Byproducts into Booze-tiful Energy!

Craft beer lovers, rejoice! Your favourite tipple can now contribute to a greener future. Adnams, a beloved Suffolk brewery, is leading the charge in sustainable brewing by embracing anaerobic digestion (AD) technology.

What's the Hops on This Tech?

Think of AD as a fancy way of saying "waste to energy." Adnams uses special sealed tanks where microorganisms break down organic matter – in this case, leftover grains and yeast from the brewing process – in an oxygen-free environment. The magic happens when this breakdown produces biogas, a clean-burning fuel that can be used to generate electricity or power vehicles.

A brewer at a UK brewery who embraces anaerobic digestion.

A brewer is pleased with the results of an anaerobic digestion plant venture!

Cheers to a Sustainable Pint!

This isn't just about leftover beer; it's about a community effort. Adnams takes things a step further by accepting food waste from local businesses. They're essentially turning what would normally end up in landfills into valuable biogas.

Here's the coolest part: the biogas generated from brewing just 600 pints is enough to power an entire home for a day! Imagine the impact when you scale that up.

Adnams is using this biogas not only to power the local community but also to fuel their brewery operations and even their fleet of vehicles. Talk about a closed-loop system!

An anaerobic digestion plant view.

Government Cheers the Initiative

Climate change minister Greg Barker has raised a glass (metaphorically, of course) to Adnams' innovation. This move follows similar initiatives by Thames Water and British Gas, highlighting a growing trend in the renewable energy sector.

The Future Tastes Green

Adnams' story is a prime example of how even everyday businesses can make a significant contribution to sustainability.

By embracing AD technology, they're reducing their environmental footprint, contributing to cleaner energy production, and setting a fantastic example for others to follow.

So, the next time you crack open an Adnams brew, you can raise a glass not just to the delicious taste, but also to their commitment to a greener future!

ARCHIVE OF ORIGINAL ARTICLE PUBLISHED DECEMBER 2010

Rapid growth of the anaerobic digestion sector has been highlighted by the adoption of the technology by a Suffolk brewery.

Adnams Brewery has introduced anaerobic digestors to its Southwold plant to turn waste from the site and surrounding companies into biogas for the national grid.

Climate change minister Greg Barker expressed his delight at the move as it follows the announcement that Thames Water and British Gas will turn sewage into biogas.

He said:

"This has been an excellent week for progress in renewable energy. As well as the waste from making beer, Adnams Bio Energy is taking in food waste from local businesses large and small."

Adnams claimed that the waste by-products generated from brewing 600 pints of beer could generate enough gas for one home a day.