Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, a proud part of AB InBev, welcomed Secretary of State for Wales, Robert Buckland to its Magor Brewery in South Wales on Tuesday 16th August.
During the visit, the Minister toured the brewery to learn more about the recently installed water and energy efficiency projects, designed to reduce energy output at the brewery. Over the past year, the introduction of these technologies resulted in a 10% reduction in water usage, and a 10% reduction in energy usage.
These collective savings mark another step in Budweiser Brewing Group’s journey to achieve net zero brewing operations in 2026 at its UK breweries, as part of its Global goal of reaching net zero across its value chain by 2040.
Magor Brewery already receives 80% of its electricity from solar farms and 20% of its electricity direct from a single wind turbine, which is among the largest in the UK. Last year, the brewer announced the exploration the deployment of zero emission green hydrogen at its Magor brewery. This project envisages hydrogen production facilities that will include a battery, hydrogen storage unit and a hydrogen refuelling stations used for HGVs.
Magor Brewery, which brews beers including Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois, is a significant employer in the South Wales region, with 500 people working across the site which has been brewing since 1979. The brewer plays an important role in the South Wales community and economy by providing job and apprentice opportunities to local people.
The Minister then joined Technical Services Manager, Dales Jones, on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Magor brewery.
Secretary of State for Wales, Robert Buckland said: “It was great to visit the Magor Brewery and see the work being done to reduce water, electricity, and gas consumption at the site. I was particularly interested to hear more about their ambitious plans for the site to become the first hydrogen powered brewery in the UK. The UK Government recognises the vital role that hydrogen can play in meeting our Net Zero commitments, and I am delighted to visit businesses where this is a priority”.
Dale Jones, Technical Services Manager at Budweiser Brewing Group’s Magor Brewery, says: “we are thrilled to have welcomed the Minister to the brewery to hear about the improvements we’ve been making to reduce our water usage. Beer production is a very water intensive process and while AB InBev has introduced a Global Water Stewardship Programme, which is vital to sustainability efforts, we must continue exploring innovations around water efficiencies
