Diageo has unveiled plans to invest more than €100m (£85.8m) to decarbonise its St James’s Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland.
The brewery – which has been the home of Guinness for 264 years – would receive funds to enable it to entirely phase out the use of fossil fuels in its direct brewing operations, and to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by the site by more than 90%, Diageo said.
By 2030, the site’s renewable energy strategy would “combine the use of grid-supplied electrical power heat pumps and biogas generated within a new water recovery facility”, said Diageo.
The new water facility would also improve water use efficiency and reduce the amount of water needed to brew Guinness by 30%, it added.
“St James’s Gate is a historic location for an iconic brand,” said Diageo CEO Debra Crew. “We’re 260 years into our 9,000-year lease at St James’s Gate and this investment will ensure Guinness has an exciting and long-term sustainable future.
“We are proud to lead the way on decarbonisation, both as a major Irish business and as an industry-leading company,” she added.
The project is receiving support from the Irish government, via its backing of Diageo decarbonisation partner Enterprise Ireland.
Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said the move was “a landmark project in Ireland’s decarbonisation landscape”.
“It is fantastic to see Diageo’s continued investment in the highest sustainability standards in Ireland and we look forward to continuing our long-term partnership with Diageo as it embarks on this industry-leading work.”
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