SEB Brewing & Packaging – well on the way to becoming the most sustainable drinks packager in the UK

Following successful feasibility trials at GADDS’ Ramsgate Brewery, SEB Brewing & Packaging is pushing ahead with the installation of a full CO₂ recovery system. The technology is designed to capture the CO₂ generated by the brewery fermentations, clean, compress and liquify it, rendering it fit for use in carbonating beers and running the filling machines. The results from the feasibility study show the process to be robust, producing liquid CO₂ of unparalleled purity, with measured oxygen content of below 15 parts per billion (our wholesale supplied CO₂ is around 30 ppb).

The project fits into a wider initiative to hit net zero on site by 2030 and is expected to make double digit reductions in emissions, giving SEB a kick start in their journey. The company’s scope 1 emissions are primarily natural gas (used in the brewery), and CO₂ evolved from fermentation, the latter making up around a third of the total. SEB’s target is to recover 75% of this evolved CO₂ by the end of the year.

Stage 3 of the project is the installation of CO₂ recovery systems in founder breweries, utilising existing transport routes to supply SEB with as much gas as it needs to become fully self-sufficient. In doing so, 65 tonnes a year of direct CO₂ emissions will be captured and reused, and 90 tonnes will be removed from the wholesale market.

CO₂ capture technology has been used in the brewing industry for over 40 years at breweries producing over 150,000 HL a year. It’s only in the past year that this technology has been scaled down to be fit for use by craft brewers, and SEB (with GADDS’) is the first company in the UK to take the plunge.

Alongside CO₂ capture, SEB is looking at other ways to reduce their environmental impact including a reduction in chemical usage.

Brewery and packaging cleaning cycles traditionally employ caustic based chemicals diluted in very hot water. With enough heat, and enough chemical action, soil (mainly proteins and starches) is loosened and then removed from surfaces, leaving them ready for sanitation. The heat and the chemical use is an expensive drain on resources, and the processes must be carried out with great care to avoid personal injury. The used fluid must then be neutralised prior to discharge.

However, recent innovations in enzyme technology is on the verge of revolutionising cleaning in the brewing industry, and SEB is positioning itself in the vanguard, helping suppliers trial new products. Enzymes have the potential to be used multiple times over, at ambient temperatures, and represent no risk to personnel, product, or the environment. Trials so far have shown the technology to be very promising and the aim is to replace all caustic on site with enzymes during Q2.

Significant challenges are likely along SEB’s journeys towards net zero, but the company is making early (and serious) headway, building problem solving skills and momentum by backing technological solutions only newly available to the industry. The direction of travel is set for all of us, and SEB is happy to take the lead.