Molson Coors Beverage Company is installing a state-of-the-art heat pump system at Burton Brewery, forming part of a major project which aims to modernise capabilities and improve energy efficiency at the brewer’s flagship UK site.

Over £8.5 million of the project cost is supported by the Government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), contributing to a total investment of more than £18 million.

The new heat pumps work by harnessing the heat expelled by the refrigeration process to fuel vital brewing operations, dramatically reducing the need to burn natural gas for process heating.

The technology is expected to reduce the energy needed for heating by up to 40,000 Megawatt hours a year and avoid the creation of many thousands of tonnes of combustion-related Carbon Dioxide, totalling around a 40% reduction in the company’s overall direct carbon emissions.

Neil Haywood, Supply Chain Director for UK & Ireland at Molson Coors, said: “The installation of these advanced heat pumps is set to significantly modernise our facilities and improve energy efficiency at the Burton Brewery site, helping us to brew our high-quality, much-loved beer brands for the UK market in a more energy efficient way – meeting the needs of our customers. It also marks a crucial step in our sustainability journey, accelerating our progress towards becoming operationally net-zero across all our UK production sites by 2035.”

Minister for Investment Lord Stockwood said: “The UK is a world leader in renewables, so I’m delighted that Molson Coors is leading the way by investing millions to help reduce emissions and supporting our aim to become a clean energy superpower. We’re serious about the benefits of net zero, which is why we’re driving growth into our clean energy sector to attract even more investment and create jobs, boosting economic growth.”

In 2021, Molson Coors became the first major UK brewer to switch to 100% renewable electricity through a Power Purchase Agreement. All electricity supports the production of the more than one billion pints it brews annually in the UK. This is sourced from 22 wind turbines at the Tween Bridge wind farm in South Yorkshire, located less than 40 miles from its Tadcaster Brewery.

The installation of new heat pumps at Burton Brewery marks the latest stage in an investment programme which began in April 2024, with £100 million committed to improving and modernising the company’s production network capabilities.