Page 10 - Food & Drink Business Magazine September 2018

ENERGY UPDATE
A powerful brew
Iconic Victorian brewer CUB shares its strategy to go 100 per cent energy sustainable with Margaret Megard.
CORPORATE Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) are considered to be an important driver for new wind and solar farms, particularly as large electricity retailers fill their requirements under the 2020 renewable energy target.
Earlier this year saw Victorian brewer Carlton & United Breweries (CUB) signing a 12-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with German renewable energy developer, service provider and wholesaler, BayWa r.e.
It's part of a commitment by the brewer, owned by the global Anheuser-Busch InBev company, to secure 100 per cent of its purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
CUB’s renewable energy will be sourced from a new 112MW solar farm, located in Karadoc, Victoria – 35km south of the
township of Mildura. Under construction now by Melbourne-based Beon Energy Solutions, the 4km grid connection is self-financed and constructed by BayWa r.e and once completed, it is touted to be the largest ever solar farm in northern Victoria.
“The Karadoc solar farm is the largest installation ever undertaken by BayWa r.e and is a great showcase of our ability to procure, design and build projects of this size anywhere in the world,” says managing director of BayWa r.e. Solar Daniel Gäfke.
“Australia is a very important market for us and this investment is testament to the commitment we have to help increase Australia’s renewable energy capacity.”
The Mildura region was chosen as it’s considered to have
Victoria's highest solar exposure and highest average sunshine hours.
BayWa r.e. will provide 74,000 MWh per year of renewable energy, enough to power 7500 homes, with the Mildura solar farm and the partnership with CUB forecast to create up to 300 jobs through construction with on-going opportunities for long-term employment through the solar farm’s operation and maintenance.
SAY CHEERS
“We think that 90 per cent of our power needs will be met by the solar farm being developed by BayWa r.e.” CUB’S head of procurement and sustainability Jan Clysner says.
“Depending on the location of our breweries here in Australia, we estimate that 10 to 12 per cent of power can be generated by the solar panels we plan for
the roof tops of these plants.” The on-site solar panels will
be rolled out this year and added to CUB breweries. The timeline depending on the availability of the number of panels required.
The rooftop panels and the power derived from the solar farm are part of CUB’s commitment to delivering on an ambitious environmental and sustainability agenda.
In fact, the CUB Yatala brewery in Queensland is already a recognised world leader in water efficiency, and the move to 100 per cent renewable electricity solidifies the company commitment to sustainability.
A POWERFUL CONVERSION
CUB CEO Jan Craps, says that in addition to reducing its environmental footprint, the new sustainability plan will make
10 | Food&Drink business | September 2018 | www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au