Green hydrogen firm and drinks giant team up to deliver net zero brewery scheme designed to save 11,000 tonnes of CO2 a year
Budweiser Brewing Group and clean energy firm Protium have today announced plans to deliver a trail-blazing green hydrogen project at Lancashire's largest brewery that could slash emisisons from the site by 11,000 tonnes a year.
The Samlesbury Net Zero project will see Protium fund, build, and operate an electrolyser, associated plant, and refuelling station at the plant, providing Budweiser with enough green hydrogen to meet the brewery's thermal demand, heating, and transport needs.
Hydrogen produced via electrolysis will be fed to readymade boilers at the brewery, with heat from the process recovered and used in Budweiser's bottling process, slashing the carbon footprint of the 295 million pints of beer produced at the site each year.
The companies said they hoped the new technology will be operational from the end of 2025, leading to cleaner air and reduced vehicle noise as Budweiser Brewing Group switches to hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles for deliveries to and from the site.
A planning application for the project, proposed for an area covering one and a half full-size football pitches just off the A59 between Preston and Blackburn, will be submitted this Spring following consultation with neighbours, the community, and other local stakeholders.
The project is set to support the region's wider net zero ambitions, with South Ribble Borough Council and Lancashire County Council both striving for carbon neutral operations and activities by 2030, ahead of the UK's broader 2050 target.
Luiz Brandao, head of procurement and sustainability at Budweiser Brewing Group, said that solutions such as hydrogen have "huge potential" to help the drinks giant deliver on its ambitious sustainability goals, including its commitment to source 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources and achieve net zero across its value chain by 2040.
Chris Jackson, CEO of Protium, also hailed the project as a "major investment" in green hydrogen infrastructure for Lancashire.
"Working with the local community will be at the heart of this project," he said. "We want to use the local supply chain where possible and engage with the education and business communities to provide upskilling opportunities for the region in green hydrogen energy production."
"Removing carbon emissions from sectors like manufacturing is one of the biggest challenges we face in reaching net zero. Green hydrogen is the hugely exciting next step in global energy transition, happening right here in Lancashire, to drive down these emissions and futureproof our vital industries.
"This is a great opportunity for Samlesbury, South Ribble and Lancashire to take a lead in tackling the tackling the climate challenges facing us all."
Samlesbury Net Zero will be Protium's third hydrogen production facility in the UK, and second with Budweiser Brewing Group, after the firm launched its first at a site in Magor in South Wales last year.
