HEINEKEN Prepares for a Carbon-Free Future

HEINEKEN, a beer manufacturer with a presence in more than 70 countries worldwide, has chosen Siemens as a partner to implement its global net-zero emissions roadmap, which aims to reduce its direct (Scope 1) and purchased energy (Scope 2) emissions to net zero across all its production facilities by 2030. The two companies will thus reduce the energy consumption of their beer and malt production sites through Siemens solutions as part of a long-term decarbonization program.

To this end, they have created a virtual model of the energy system of a typical HEINEKEN brewery and analyzed areas for significant energy savings using digital twin technology. It was shown that the heating and cooling systems required for the brewing process account for around 70% of energy consumption. By optimizing these, Siemens calculates that energy savings of up to 15-20% per plant and an average reduction of 50% in CO2 emissions can be achieved.

To achieve this, scalable, end-to-end Siemens solutions will be introduced at HEINEKEN's production sites. The decarbonization process will initially involve 15 plants, including the domestic production unit.

In the global project, Siemens will also use digital twin simulations and operational data from each site to electrify the heating and cooling processes in the plants with renewable energy heat pumps, reducing the brewery's dependence on fossil fuels. The system will be monitored, controlled and optimized by Siemens' Cooling Plant Optimization algorithm, which uses built-in analytics to analyze data from the sites, reducing energy costs and ensuring efficient operations.

The agreement also includes a five-year performance and monitoring contract, under which Siemens will provide remote monitoring based on data from the generating units.