Hepworth Brewery, a UK-based independent brewing company, is to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and advance its goal of 85% carbon neutrality with a small-scale carbon capture system.
Chart Industries on Tuesday (7th Nov) announced Hepworth Brewery as the first European brewery to purchase and install its CiCi® carbon capture technology, developed by Earthly Labs, a Chart Industries company.
CO2 captured via the CiCi® technology will be recycled by Hepworth. This will help future proof the business against potential CO2 shortages in the UK that have impacted the food and beverage industry for many years now.
Andy Hepworth, founder and Chairman of Hepworth, adds, “The reality is the shortage of commercial CO2 supply is so prevalent, it is a risk to our industry. In fact, there were three days this year when we did not have CO2. Without our supply, we simply cannot produce beer.”
While increased CO2 security is a bonus, Hepworth did note that the primary focus of the investment is to heed the call to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and tackle climate change.
In addition to carbon capture, Hepworth has a portfolio of efforts to reduce its carbon and waste footprint through recovery, reuse, and recycling. To reduce transportation, the company relies on local ingredients, and it has also implemented many energy efficiencies, including solar power.
Further to this heat, a waste product from beer chillers has been captured and completely heats the offices and visitor centre with excess heat being used to preheat water for brewing.
Amy George, President of Earthly Labs, described Hepworth as being at the forefront of sustainability – from carbon capture to wastewater to anaerobic digesters. She added, “They are looking at problems as opportunities to make Hepworth more resilient as they inspire customers in the UK for decades to come.”
Europe has long been the seat of international climate initiatives and frameworks. In October 2017, the UK government announced its new approach to carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) called the Clean Growth Strategy. The approach was designed to enable the UK to become a global leader for CCUS and ensure that government has the option of deploying CCUS at scale during the 2030s.
Chart’s Howden division, headquartered in the UK, will support the multibillion carbon capture market throughout Europe from sales, service, post-sale support and manufacturing. Earthly Labs will also add the Howden software monitoring to its own carbon capture platform, expanding the value of asset monitoring to carbon capture.
Read more: Chart Industries completes acquisition of Howden
Read more: How Chart’s purchase of Howden will propel hydrogen and drive Net Zero
Decarbonisation Summit 2024: Industrial Gases and Clean Energies 3.0
The global industrial gas and equipment business has an imperative role to play in the future of clean fuels and decarbonisation. The energy transition simply won’t happen without it.
At the same time, the industry has its own activities to decarbonise and circular economies to carve out – think green air gases and bio-based carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as CO2 utilisation and e-fuels, and so much more besides.
There are pathways to progress and questions to answer on this journey, not least:
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All of these questions and more will be in the spotlight at gasworld’s Decarbonisation Summit in April 2024. This is the Net Zero event for you, held in New York against the backdrop of the progressive US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and with the world’s gaze watching on.
Interested in speaking and contributing? Get in touch with our Content Director, Rob Cockerill, at [email protected]
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