The EU has over 10,000 breweries, and a growing number are switching to heat pumps to produce the steam and hot water they need.
By getting off gas, the brewers are reducing energy bills and cutting carbon emissions. European LNG prices recently surged to their highest since 2023 amid conflict in the Middle East.
Last night brewers, engineers, climate advocates and policymakers gathered at Brussels Oktoberfest, a vibrant festival in the heart of the EU inspired by the Bavarian celebration. The event celebrated the launch of ‘Brewed with Clean Heat’, a new campaign promoting electrification in the brewing sector by showcasing brewers across Europe who have switched from fossil fuels to clean heat technologies. Electrification paired with solar and wind power can help protect businesses against unpredictable energy prices by reducing dependence on volatile imported fossil fuels.
The Brewed with Clean Heat campaign is sharing success stories about existing installations and free resources for breweries to help build trust in electrification across the sector.
Jozefien Vanbecelaere, Policy Director, European Heat Pump Association, said:
“With heat pumps, beer can be brewed clean. Industries from food and drink to pulp and paper are switching process heat supply and cutting bills and emissions. Both in Bavaria and Brussels, we can raise a glass to the 39% of industrial heat that could be provided by heat pumps already today.”
A collaboration between Electrification Alliance and European Heat Pump Association, the Oktoberfest event drew attendance from influential EU policy officials. The European Commission recently published its Electrification Action Plan, which aims to make Europe ‘the first electro-powered continent’, announcing a target of 46% electrification by 2040 to cut the EU’s fossil fuel import bill by €260 billion per year.
Momentum is building globally too, with the COP31 presidency announcing a new pledge to 35% of final energy consumption being electrified by 2035. Brewing, as part of the broader food and beverage sector, is particularly well-suited to electrification due to relatively low temperature requirements (< 200°C), while the combination of heating and cooling needs in a brewery provides clear opportunities for energy recovery and storage.
Adrian Hiel, Director, Electrification Alliance, said:
“Europe’s breweries are replacing gas-fired steam boilers with high-efficiency industrial heat pumps and locking in an energy supply that is both cheaper and truly secure. By plugging into clean power, the brewing sector is slashing its fossil dependency and proving that cutting-edge industrial decarbonisation tastes damn good.”
On the Brewed with Clean Heat website, brewers interested in clean heat can find:
- Mini documentaries featuring brewers and engineers in Germany, the UK and the Netherlands, such as Hepworth Brewery, which used heat pumps to reduce energy consumption by 86% energy saving carbon emissions by 91%.
- A Brewery Electrification Guide with an overview of technologies and next steps.
- A database of 300+ heat pump manufacturers in Europe.
More case studies will be added over the coming months, including brewers beyond Europe who are also tackling the energy crisis with clean heat and renewable electricity.
EHPA’s participation in Oktoberfest Brussels was supported by the EU-funded SPIRIT project. It is also held in the context of Heat Pump Day on 21 October, which brings together people across Europe to celebrate and awareness around the power of heat pumps.
Notes to editors:
- Download images from the Brussels Oktoberfest event here
- Download Brewed with Clean Heat campaign assets here
- Visit brewedclean.com for more information
- For any further questions, contact ruth.macgilp@gsccnetwork.org
