"Brewed with Clean Heat" campaign launches to support brewery electrification across Europe

The "Brewed with Clean Heat" campaign, a collaboration between Electrification Alliance and the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), was launched at Brussels Oktoberfest to support the electrification of process heat across the EU's more than 10,000 breweries. The event brought together brewers, engineers, climate advocates, and policymakers, including influential EU policy officials, in a festival inspired by the Bavarian celebration.

Policy and market backdrop

European LNG prices recently surged to their highest levels since 2023 amid conflict in the Middle East, adding urgency for breweries to move off gas. The European Commission's recently published Electrification Action Plan sets a target of 46% electrification by 2040, aiming to cut the EU's fossil fuel import bill by €260 billion per year and make Europe "the first electro-powered continent." Globally, the COP31 presidency announced a pledge to electrify 35% of final energy consumption by 2035.

Why brewing suits heat pumps

As part of the broader food and beverage sector, brewing is particularly well-suited to electrification due to relatively low temperature requirements (below 200 °C). The combination of heating and cooling needs in a brewery also provides clear opportunities for energy recovery and storage.

Jozefien Vanbecelaere, Policy Director at EHPA, noted that with heat pumps, beer can be brewed clean, and that industries from food and drink to pulp and paper are already switching process heat supply to cut bills and emissions. She highlighted that 39% of industrial heat could be provided by heat pumps already today.

Adrian Hiel, Director of Electrification Alliance, stated that Europe's breweries are replacing gas-fired steam boilers with high-efficiency industrial heat pumps, locking in an energy supply that is both cheaper and more secure. He added that by plugging into clean power, the brewing sector is reducing its fossil dependency and demonstrating that industrial decarbonisation can deliver tangible results.

Campaign resources

The campaign website (brewedclean.com) offers:

• Mini documentaries featuring brewers and engineers in Germany, the UK, and the Netherlands, including Hepworth Brewery, which used heat pumps to reduce energy consumption by 86% and carbon emissions by 91%.
• A Brewery Electrification Guide with an overview of technologies and next steps.
• A database of more than 300 heat pump manufacturers in Europe.

Additional case studies, including brewers beyond Europe, will be added over the coming months.

Event context

EHPA's participation in Brussels Oktoberfest was supported by the EU-funded SPIRIT project. The event was also held in the context of Heat Pump Day on 21 October, which brings together people across Europe to raise awareness of heat pump technology.

Source: EHPA.