Sweden: Carlsberg Sweden’s new investment to capture CO2 to put bubbles in beer

Thanks to an investment in a new high-tech carbon dioxide recycling plant, up to 40 percent of Carlsberg Sweden's use of carbon dioxide is estimated to come from its own process from the end of 2024, the company announced on October 24.

Carlsberg Sweden is now taking the next step in line with the sustainability programme, Together Towards ZERO and Beyond, and invests in a carbon dioxide recovery plant. This means that Carlsberg Sweden will start to collect, purify, and reuse the biogenic carbon dioxide that is currently being released during fermentation.

The investment will contribute to an even more efficient use of resources in the business and lead to 120 fewer truck transports each year. The carbon dioxide recycling plant will be located at the brewery in Falkenberg and will be used for beer, soft drinks, and water. Production is expected to start at the end of 2024.

“Aiming for circularly and making use of residual products is natural for us,” says Mikhail Zaripov, Utilities manager, Carlsberg Sweden. “By being able to recycle, process and purify the carbon dioxide from fermentation, we create new carbonic acid for our drinks. This means that we save our resources and the environment, while also reducing the purchase of carbon dioxide in the future. It is gratifying and a step forward for us.”

Own produced cardon dioxide in up to 40 percent of Carlsberg Sweden's carbonated products

Currently, the brewery in Falkenberg and the water factory in Ramlösa purchase 9,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year that are loaded into heavy tanks and trucked to and from Carlsberg facilities. The carbon dioxide recovery plant has a capacity of 750 kg per hour and two tanks with a capacity of 30 tons each. It will cover up to 40 percent of all carbon dioxide needed in Carlsberg Sweden’s production. With approximately 3,600 tonnes of self-produced carbon dioxide per year, the company will be able to reduce the number of transports and create conditions for even more stable production.

“We depend on carbonation for most of our products in beer, soft drinks, and water," says Jonas Kudermann, VP Integrated Supply Chain, Carlsberg Sweden. “A carbon dioxide recovery facility ensures that we can continue production even in the event of power outages or carbon dioxide shortages in Sweden or Europe. This investment will give us a more robust production where we minimize the risk of external influences and at the same time contribute to the company's sustainability work and the Together Towards ZERO and Beyond agenda.”

Carlsberg Sweden was the first brewery within the Carlsberg Group, and the first large brewery in Sweden, to use only renewable energy sources in its beverage production. Since 2017, Carlsberg Sweden has only used certified green electricity and biogas (self-produced and purchased) for beverage production in Falkenberg and Ramlösa. All carbon dioxide that the company uses is fossil-free already today.

24 October, 2023