Budweiser beer will be brewed in Britain using solar power from 2020, following a 15-year deal signed by brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) and renewable power developer Lightsource BP, the companies announced on Wednesday.
Lightsource BP will develop and operate 100 megawatts (MW) of solar projects, to generate enough electricity for AB InBev's breweries. The power being generated is equivalent to the amount used by 18,000 homes.
The solar projects are expected to be completed and connected to Britain's power grid by the end of 2020.
Sustainability Goals
The initiative is part of the company's sustainability goals, which include purchasing all electricity from renewable sources by 2025, AB InBev said in a statement.
No financial details were disclosed, but Lightsource noted that the deal would enable it to develop the solar projects without subsidies.
Oil major BP acquired a 43% stake in Lightsource, Europe's biggest solar-energy developer, last year.
AB InBev, the world's largest brewer, produces more than 17 million cans and bottles of Budweiser beer each week from its two main breweries, in Magor, South Wales, and Samlesbury, Lancashire.
News by Reuters, edited by ESM. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
