Schladming brewery
The “Green Brewery Schladming” with its 28 employees is a regional specialty brewery in the middle of the Schladming-Dachstein region, Austria. Around 6.8 million pints of the best beer are brewed here every year. The brewery is closely linked to agriculture and raw materials and therefore needs and promotes an intact environment. In order to create the best beer culture for the future, environmental protection is essential. Projects that are implemented along the entire value chain have a lasting positive effect on the economy, the environment and society.
New energy concept
In 2006 the Schladming district heating network was set up by the local community and Bio-Energie Schladming GmbH, which supplies over 90 percent of the businesses and households in the village. At Bio-Energie Schladming GmbH, only wood chips in the form of round wood and wood chips from the surrounding forests are used as heating material. Immediately after the completion of the distribution network, there were discussions about connecting the brewery. However, the high temperatures required to heat the brew kettle were a challenge. The concept was therefore adapted so that the district heating system guarantees constant temperature values of around 100 degrees and the additional output is achieved via a pellet heating system. This energy concept was successfully implemented after an extensive planning phase. In December 2018, in cooperation with the local community and Bio-Energie Schladming GmbH, the brewery was connected to the Schladming district heating network, which provides a fifth of the energy required. In addition, the installation of the pellet heating system began around the same time, so that particularly energy-intensive steps in the brewing process, such as the boiling of the wort, can also be fed from sustainable sources. The pellet heating system was then put into operation in 2019. Since then, 6.8 million pints of the best beer have been brewed entirely with green energy.
Innovation
The sustainable energy supply concept of the Green Brewery Schladming can undoubtedly serve as a model for other companies. This is even shown by Brau Union Österreich itself, as it has also converted the brewing operations to sustainable production in the Göss Green Brewery. An inventory of the existing energy supply including considerations to convert this sustainably, be it through own investments or cooperation with neighboring district heating systems, is conceivable in many companies. Depending on the energy required, this project can even be easier, since the energy consumption is not as high everywhere as in the brewing process.
Safety in the fleet
When transporting Schladminger beer, sustainability and safety are important points. In 2019, a second new, economical MAN HydroDrive truck with turning assistant went into operation and since 2020 an all-wheel-drive bus has been expanding the Schladming fleet.
More Information: https://www.brauunion.at/en/sustainability/
Mag. Dr. Gabriela Maria Straka, EMBA
Member of the Management Board, Director Corporate Affairs & CSR