Brussels: Brussels Beer Project on track to start brewing at new facility in December

Brussels Beer Project says it is on track to start operations in its new brewery in December 2021, with the delivery of the last fermentation tanks to the new site bringing it one step closer to the goal, The Brussels Times reported on September 14.

The new brewery is a turning point for the company and the tanks will allow the brewery to produce all its beers in Brussels. Currently, BBP has a small brewery in Rue Dansaert, while two-thirds of its production takes place at a partner brewery in Limburg.

Upon opening, the new brewery will have an annual capacity of 3.5 million litres, with the potential to increase to 5 million in time.

“This last tank going in is a big moment, but we still have a few more things to do. It’s a good moment to celebrate,” Co-founder Sébastien Morvan told the Brussels Times. “The plan is to start brewing from the 8 December and then take it from there. Our lease is 40 years, and then who knows what happens.”

The tanks were delivered by boat and lifted in by crane into the brewery in the “Port Sud” district of Biestebroeck in Anderlecht, an area that BBP co-founder Olivier de Brauwere says they picked very intentionally.

“It’s interesting to see that breweries are really helping to change the face of some neighbourhoods,” de Brauwere told The Brussels Times. “This is something we wanted to do because we have a big community, a very engaged community, and we can attract people to a destination point.”

“We thought this was a good stop in a neighbourhood that not a lot of Brussels people know. I actually discovered the site by accident in 2016 when we were looking for different places to establish a second brewery. The best way to do this was to grab my bike and just ride, and that’s what I did.”

By selecting the spot neither on the city’s outskirts nor right in the centre, the brewery hopes to attract new crowds to what they see as a unique area.

“We still very much want to attract locals, these people are going to be the most loyal consumers, but we want to bring more people. We want to be the trigger so there can be more projects like this in this neighbourhood,” de Brauwere added.

Although the brewery has been designed to be visible in the local community, it also has been built with the environment in mind. To this end:

The new building will produce solar energy and use 100% green and local energy
The surplus hot water generated by the production will be reused for heating, removing the need for fossil fuels.

Rainwater will be collected on the 1,142m² roof to reduce the brewery’s water consumption.

The brewery, which will have a soft opening party on 23 October, also says it aims to be accessible by public transport with a connection to the Tram 81 and over 40 on-site bike racks.

16 September, 2021