A Danish brewer was recently recognized for its water conservation by Brave Blue World Foundation.
Carlsberg is one of five companies that won the 2021 Lighthouse Awards.
The foundation gives the award for organizations that have developed new ways of using technology, finance or partnerships, including circularity in their practice, to reduce their impact in water-stressed regions, or build resilience in their local water systems.
“The Lighthouse Awards honor the pioneers who are embracing water innovation to make tangible changes within their organization or community. It is also an opportunity for us to raise greater awareness of the remarkable work happening in the global water community,” Brave Blue World Foundation founder Paul O’Callaghan said. “The achievements of our 2021 recipients show us what is possible when bold ambitions are supported and enabled. We are proud to celebrate the stories of these visionaries who are showing us the way to a sustainable water future.”
Carlsberg recently opened a water recycling plant which has made its Fredericia brewery in Denmark the most water efficient brewery in the world. In the Frederica brewery, 90% of the process water is recycled, this will halve water use from 2.9hl per hl of beer to just 1.4 hl/hl, saving around 500 million liters of water a year.
By processing the water to generate biogas and recirculating hot water, the plant is also expected to cut brewery energy consumption by around 10%. The learnings will support Carlsberg to reach its target to virtually eliminate water waste globally by 2030.
This project is a moon-shot example of circular economy in food production where recycled water is used to clean production facilities and biogas is produced. Carlsberg understands that without water, there is no beer. This brewery is now coined the world’s most water efficient brewery and is without doubt the model of the future.
Other winners are:
- Anheuser-Busch InBev – Amunas, for a project revaluing ancestral heritage to protect water in Peru.
- Anglian Water for its work in low-carbon sustainable agriculture
- CEPT Rayapuram and DuPont Water Solutions for a zero-liquid discharge project at Tirupur textile factory, India
- Google for its seawater cooling system at the Hamina Data Center in Finland
The award selection process, carried out by adjudicators from technology market intelligence company BlueTech Research, was based on several criteria and split into project themes.
These included blue-green infrastructure, water reuse, partnerships & communication, nature-based solutions, regeneration, water catchment and circular economy.
The Lighthouse Awards were launched by the Brave Blue World Foundation in December 2020, following the release of its documentary Brave Blue World, which highlights the urgency of the global water crisis and the pioneers who are building sustainable solutions.
