HEINEKEN, the world's most international brewer, has selected Siemens as a partner for its global Net Zero Production roadmap.
It is part of HEINEKEN’s ambitions to reach net zero in Scopes 1 and 2 across all production sites by 2030.
Decarbonization program
Siemens and HEINEKEN will work together on a long-term decarbonization program, which will see Siemens implementing solutions and services from its Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, to reduce energy usage at more than 15 HEINEKEN beer and malt production sites, spanning facilities across Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and Europe.
Additional sites will be added in a second phase.
Energy savings
The simulation showed approximately 70% of energy use was linked to the generation of heating and cooling
HEINEKEN and Siemens collaborated on an initial consulting, auditing, and advisory services project, using an energy digital twin to simulate and analyze a typical HEINEKEN brewery in the virtual world, identifying where significant energy savings could be made.
The simulation showed approximately 70 percent of energy use was linked to the generation of heating and cooling necessary for the brewing process.
By optimizing and monitoring these cooling and heating systems through an end-to-end program, Siemens estimates energy savings of 15-20 percent at each site and an average CO2 reduction of 50 percent at each site.
Reaching net-zero goals
Dolf van den Brink, HEINEKEN CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board, said, “As we continue to focus on the delivery of our journey to reach net zero in Scope 1 and 2, we know that we must make many bold and ambitious moves to decarbonize our global operations."
Dolf van den Brink adds, "Undertaking these challenges with partners like Siemens allows us to bring in technical expertise and industry knowledge to innovate quickly and at scale. We are excited to continue on this journey with partners who are committed to pioneer and localizing next-generation solutions, to help us reach our net zero goals.”
End-to-end solutions and services
Siemens will design, engineer, and implement a system to electrify the production of heat and cooling
To achieve targeted reductions in energy usage and CO2, Siemens will deploy an end-to-end program of solutions and services that are scalable and replicable across HEINEKEN’s global production sites.
Using operational data in combination with the energy digital twin at each site, Siemens will design, engineer, and implement a system to electrify the production of heat and cooling using heat pumps powered by renewable energy, reducing reliance on steam generated by fossil fuels.
Operational efficiency
The system will be monitored, controlled, and optimized using Siemens Cooling Plant Optimization algorithms, which use built-in analytics to analyze data from the plant to reduce energy costs and ensure operational efficiency.
“We’re proud to be a partner to HEINEKEN’s Net Zero roadmap; an ambitious journey to reach net zero by 2040,” said Matthias Rebellius, Managing Board Member of Siemens AG and CEO of Smart Infrastructure.
Data-driven decarbonization
We combine hardware, software, and analytics to predict and deliver the long-term results which are crucial"
Matthias Rebellius adds, “Working with HEINEKEN as a partner in this way demonstrates a thoroughly modern approach to data-driven decarbonization."
He continues, "By collaborating on an end-to-end program, we combine hardware, software, and analytics to predict and deliver the long-term results that are crucial to every industry.”
5-year performance and monitoring contract
As part of the long-term partnership agreement, Siemens will also deliver a five-year performance and monitoring contract, connecting the breweries to Siemens systems which use data services to remotely monitor the production sites, ensuring the best solution is operated at all times.
From barley to bar, HEINEKEN continues to focus on concrete actions to reduce its carbon emissions, working closely with customers, consumers, and suppliers.
Renewable electricity consumption
At the end of 2022, HEINEKEN had already reduced total carbon emissions on Scopes 1 and 2 by 18 percent since 2018. To achieve this, in 2022 it increased its renewable electricity consumption to 58 percent and is currently investing in renewable heat solutions for its breweries.
In 2023 HEINEKEN’s net zero and FLAG (Forest, Land, and Agriculture) targets were approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), becoming the first global brewer to pass this sustainability milestone.