[Bremen/Germany] As part of its sustainability strategy, Anheuser-Busch InBev is now taking another pioneering step – with the installation of a battery storage solution for the decentralised storage of electricity in cooperation with EDF Renewables. The debut will be at the Bremen site: The first battery storage system with a capacity of 1.6 megawatts started operating there the beginning of November 2023. As one of the largest breweries in Europe, Beck & Co. is an important player with pioneering potential on the road to CO2-neutral brewing.

In addition to the Bremen site, EDF Renewables is planning three further battery storage facilities in Germany in partnership with Anheuser-Busch InBev. In Munich at Spaten-Löwenbräu and at Hasseröder in Wernigerode, the storage facilities will have a capacity of up to two megawatts. A storage facility with a capacity of 300 kilowatts is also planned at Diebels in Issum. These battery storage systems will as well be commissioned at the above locations over the course of next year. Anheuser-Busch InBev has concluded a contract with EDF Renewables Deutschland for a period of ten years: EDF Renewables offers a full service package from planning and installation to operation and also covers the investment costs.

"In our four German breweries, we can significantly reduce our energy costs by implementing these high-performance battery storage systems. Especially as around a fifth of our electricity costs are attributable to the grid fees charged by suppliers, which are likely to continue to rise. The new battery storage systems are particularly beneficial during peak loads thanks to their high efficiency," says Fried-Heye Allers, company spokesman of Anheuser-Busch InBev Germany.

"The objective of our storage projects is to make the power supply for industrial sites in Germany more secure, cost-efficient and sustainable. Breweries have a high energy demand - with our intelligent battery storage systems, we are supporting Anheuser-Busch InBev's initiative to reduce its carbon footprint significantly," says Clotaire François, CEO of EDF Renewables Storage Deutschland GmbH, which is responsible for implementing the battery storage solution at the four German Anheuser-Busch InBev breweries.

High energy demand from breweries requires optimised storage solutions. Breweries - like other companies in the food industry - face particular challenges: Due to strict regulations and mandatory process sequences, including chemical processes that must be completed in full, a constant supply of electricity is essential. With the help of battery storage, breweries can meet this challenge in a targeted manner.

In addition, the battery storage system helps to alleviate peak loads on site during the grid operator's high-load windows, which helps to relieve the local power grid. The grid operators then reward the companies with reduced electricity costs.

About Anheuser-Busch InBev Deutschland

Anheuser-Busch InBev Germany (Beck's, Corona, Spaten), with its headquarters in Bremen and three other locations, is a subsidiary of the world's leading brewing group Anheuser-Busch InBev and the second-largest brewery group in the German beer market.