SS
Guarding
against the fires
of Athens
Ensuring
energy
Mini-business
in Burundi
Electricity helps out
Crating the pump
In Athens hundreds of incendiary fires
were lit by political groups trying to
attract attention shortly before the Greek
general elections. Athenian Brewery, a
Heine ken affiliated company, is located
in an area with shrubs and brushwood.
Though in no immediate danger, the
brewery soon discovered that so many
outbreaks of fire all at once made the
municipal water supply useless for extin
guishing purposes because of the drop in
pressure. A large reservoir filled to the
brim is on hand in the brewery, but the
capacity of the existing pumps would not
have provided enough pressure to fight
any fires that might have threatened the
premises.
As soon as this potential risk became
apparent, a telex was sent off straight
away to Zoeterwoude and within hours a
member of Heineken's technical staff had
taken off for Athens with a fire pump
which he installed at the brewery.
Luckily, no fires ever reached the brewery
and the new pump did not see any action,
but this forms a good illustration of how
quickly help can be dispatched from
Heineken Holland when an emergency
threatens.
14
The pictures show the apparatus being unloaded
from the plane and installed in the brewery.
The availability and cost of energy sources
cause problems all over the world. One
such case occurred at Bralima S.A.R.L.
in Bukavu (Zaïre), where it was found
that regular oil supplies could no longer
be relied on. Since ample power could be
obtained from the nearby hydroelectric
power station, it was decided to replace
the oil-fired boiler by a new, electrically
heated steam boiler. Choosing the method
for shipping the boiler out to Bukavu was
not easy. Finally it was decided to airlift it
inland from the coast, thus saving two
months' time and even some money, and
also reducing the risk of damage to
practically nil. At 5.70 m long, 2.70 wide
and, complete with all fittings such as a
degasifier and two switching cabinets, the
boiler weighed a total of 16,000 kilos.
This was the maximum that the Hercules
plane could carry under the
circumstances, for the Bukavu airfield is
not very long and has no refuelling
facilities. The height of the loading door
was only 2.73 m, and the extreme
precision needed to fit the boiler through
meant that loading took twelve hours.
But all went well and the result was a
spectacular air-transport achievement.
The photo shows quite a familiar roadside
scene in many parts of the world. But
how often will you spot a customer at
such a teeny weeny stall sporting such
unusual headgear as a Heineken carton?
This customer was at a stall in the
neighbourhood of the Bujumbura
brewery in Burundi, where many such
small businesses can be found. The
vendors - not always children, but quite
often adults as well - offer matches,
cigarettes and a local kind of Sunlight
soap to the many people passing by on
foot or in cars. Articles like these are
offered for sale alongside most of the
busier roads.
Answer to question on page 5:
Heineken distributes 30 million beer
mats per year.
