AB InBev has inked a deal with energy developer BayWa r.e. to purchase 100% renewable electricity for its European brewing operations. The ten-year virtual power purchase agreement will see power supplied from two solar farms with a combined power output of almost 200 megawatts, of which AB InBev will be supplied with more than 130 megawatts. The deal covers AB InBev’s 14 breweries in Western Europe and more than 50 brands brewed and sold across 12 countries, including Budweiser. BayWa r.e. will fund and develop two new solar sites in Spain, one of which will be called the Budweiser Solar Farm. AB InBev’s European brewing operations produce more than 55 million kegs of beer each year and around 5 million bottles of Budweiser each week. 

Over the duration of the Agreement, this is enough to power the equivalent of almost 670,000 European homes, or 100,000 stadium football matches.

“As a brewer, we rely on natural ingredients – water, hops, barley and yeast – to make our beers, so we know that sustainability is not just part of our business, it is our business,” said Jason Warner, zone president for Europe at AB InBev. “From recycling CO2 released in the brewing process to eliminating plastic from our packaging, we are constantly looking to not only reduce our environmental impact but to have a net positive effect. This is why we are hugely excited today to announce this partnership with BayWa r.e. to build the Budweiser Solar Farm, add new European solar capacity and brew our beers across Western Europe with renewable electricity".