Water: Sustainable production
"The quality of water has always been a major concern for our
brewers. Indeed it's one of the three primary raw materials for
beer. We are very alert to external factors - like environmental
pollution - that can impact on the quality and availability of water.
And when we take in water we closely examine its quality and the
quality of the actual source. In some countries where we have
breweries is the availability of good water limited. But Heineken
has a whole range of technological tools available to treat water
anywhere around the globe, to ensure top quality brewing. In one
case, on the Bahamas, Heineken people actually succeeded in
converting sea water into brewing water, via a costly desalination
process." Kostas Dimitriadis (43 Brewery Manager at Athenian
Brewery in Greece, talks keenly about his trade. "First and
foremost using water in the brewery involves making the mash
and brewing. Then there's the cleaning of the boilers,
fermentation tanks, storage tanks and packaging - keg, bottle,
crate, tanker truck. All important aspects needing a whole lot of
water. Our care for the water is in three stages: when we take it in,
when we use it in the brewery, and at the draining stage. Heineken
has dedicated research at each of these three stages to reduce any
burden on the environment. And our ongoing enhancement
programme has made a significant cut in the amount of water
used. We are applying improved techniques of aerobic and
anaerobic water purification, and the resulting biogas presents us
with a supply of clean energy. We want to produce our beers in a
sustainable manner. We will not be handing the bill for our
production process to the next generation", says Dimitriadis.
"Water is crucial for our product and for society as a whole.
Heineken is aware of that, and it knows that it has a duty to treat
this resource with respect."
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