Editor’s note: Asahi-owned Carlton & United Breweries has reached a sustainability milestone of brewing 50 million beers from solar power at its Abbotsford brewery. The milestone was achieved after the company installed more than 4000 solar panels at the brewery.

The 1.75 MWp installation at Abbotsford is a step towards achieving Asahi’s new sustainability agenda, including sourcing100 per cent of its purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

The Abbotsford Brewery, Melbourne’s oldest and most well-known brewery, has brewed its 50 millionth beer using the power of the sun.

The sustainability milestone was achieved after the 118-year-old brewery installed more than 4000 solar panels.

The new system on the rooftops of the Abbotsford Brewery is the largest solar installation on a brewery in Victoria. It directly harnesses the sun to brew some of Australia’s favourite beers including Victoria Bitter, Carlton Draught, and Pure Blonde.

Hayden Turner, CUB’s Head of Classic Brands, said the panels were spread across 8800 square metres, half the area of the MCG playing surface, and will reduce our carbon emissions in Victoria by an estimated 48,000 tonnes over the next 25 years.

“We know Victorians want to drink beer that is brewed more sustainably, which is why we’ve undertaken this massive project,” he said.

“This is one of Melbourne’s most historic and revered manufacturing sites, having brewed beer since 1904 – a time when Clydesdale horses were the only way to transport VB and Carlton Draught around town and 50 years before the beer can was introduced to Australia! So it wasn’t a simple task to install 4000 solar panels on the roofs, but we are now thrilled that this old brewery is a part of the renewable energy revolution.

“The beer itself hasn’t changed, with the same ingredients and brewing methods used. But Victorian beer lovers can now rest assured that the sun is now helping brew their favourite ice-cold beers.”

CUB is a proud part of the Asahi Beverages family. The 1.75 MWp installation at Abbotsford is a big step towards Asahi Beverages achieving its ambitious sustainability targets, including sourcing all its electricity across the country from renewable sources by 2025.

“While the solar panels are not enough to power the entire brewery, our goal is to ensure Abbotsford is powered entirely by a mix of directly-sourced and offset solar electricity by 2025,’’ Mr Turner said.

The project was led by Smart Commercial Solar in partnership with AMPYR Energy. Smart Commercial Solar General Manager Maximilian Stenning said it is one of the most complex projects the company has undertaken in Australia.

“Delivering a project of this scale for Australia’s leading beverages company underscores the commercial strength of solar,” he said. “Renewables are now even more viable because of the need for energy resilience in today’s market. We completed the project with no disruption to operations while working through the challenges posed by an operating brewery and pandemic. Asahi Beverages continues to be at the leading edge of a quickly emerging trend among organisations to embrace ambitious projects that realise economic benefits for the business while reducing the environmental impact of business operations.”