Heat
The wort-boiling process requires the greatest amount of heat. Other major opera
tions requiring heat are the mashing process (the preparation of the mash), the clean
sing of the bottles and the pasteurisation of the beer.
A 3.1 percent reduction in the specific consumption of heat was achieved during the
period between 1997 and 1999 (125 MJ/hl and 121 MJ/hl beer respectively). The total
quantity of heat consumed in 1999 amounted to 6.0 billion MJ. The increase in con
sumption in 1998 was due to the acquisition of breweries that were less energy effi
cient than the existing Heineken breweries. The decrease to 121 MJ per hi beer produ
ced in 1999 is largely the consequence of improvements implemented in these
breweries. Another explanation for the improvement of the environmental perfor
mance was the installation of new equipment; for example, more energy-efficient
steam boilers were installed at the breweries of El Aguila in Madrid (Spain) and Zlaty
Bazant in Hurbanovo (Slovakia).
THERMAL ENERGY AND RECENTLY-
ACQUIRED BREWERIES
Newly purchased breweries do not
usually comply with Heineken's
standards for environmental care.
Heineken devotes a great deal of
attention to the implementation of
improvements at these breweries.
Fundamental issues such as
employees' greater awareness of
the importance of the environment
and good housekeeping have
made a contribution to substantial
savings in the consumption of
water, electricity and heat.
Generally speaking, savings in the
heat consumption are often feas
ible at the newly-acquired brewer
ies. The breweries acquired since
1998 are responsible for 17.9 per
cent of the Heineken Company's
European production. These new
breweries have been able to re
duce their combined heat con
sumption by 6.7 percent within the
space of one year whilst, at the
same time, increasing their output.
Consequently these breweries
have been able to achieve an 8.7
percent reduction in their specific
heat consumption. The generation
of heat from fossil fuels makes the
largest contribution to the brew
eries' emissions and consequently
a reduction in the heat consump
tion has a positive effect on the
environment.
Specific heat consumption breweries
MJ/hl 0.00 100.00 110.00 120.00 130.00
target
2002
112.00
2001
114.00
2000
117.00
1999
121.43
1998
127.53
1997
125.30
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
39