Heineken in Jaén is Spain's first emissions-free beer factory

A BEER factory in Andalucía has become the first in Spain, and the biggest in Europe, to become completely emissions-free.

Heineken España, in Jaén, has been able to save 2,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) output per year by using entirely 'green' energy.

Solar panels line the roofs, and heat energy is made from biomass created from plant waste from the olive industry, the mainstay of the province's agricultural economy.

This also means olive-growers earn money from every glass of beer drunk across the country that was manufactured in the inland province to the north of Andalucía, and as this part of the mainland is typically the hottest in spring and summer and enjoys mild winters, sun is abundant and a reliable, regular source of free electricity.

Heineken España chairman Guillaume Duverdier gave a press conference this week along with minister for industry, tourism and trade, Reyes Maroto, explaining how the company managed to power its enormous plant without resorting to fossil fuel or producing harmful emissions.

Although Spain, in line with the rest of the European Union, has set itself the target of slashing CO2 emissions by 50% by the year 2025, and Heineken España had given itself the same deadline to cut its greenhouse gas output by 100%, it has managed to do so four years earlier than planned.

Also, the company has focused its efforts on water use – necessary for the future of the planet in all cases, but particularly so in a province with a dry climate, little rainfall and very hot summers.

Beer-manufacturing uses a great deal of water, not all of which stays in the cans and bottles as part of the drink itself – but any surplus or waste from the brewing process is recycled and pumped back into the fields for irrigation.

Heineken is the creator behind some of the most-consumed brands of lager in Spain, including Cruzcampo, Alcázar and Amstel.