AB InBev, the world’s leading brewer, has announced that it is trialling making beer deliveries powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a UK first for its breweries.
The brewer of brands including Budweiser, Stella Artois, Beck’s and Bud Light is launching a pilot to reduce Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Particulate Matter (PM) and noise emissions by using natural gas, the most environmentally friendly fuel, for deliveries.
Run out of AB InBev’s brewery in Samlesbury, Lancashire, the trial will take place over the next two weeks with the new IVECO Stralis NP tractor from transport company, H Parkinson Haulage Ltd (HPH). The vehicle, which delivers the best fuel efficiency in long-distance journeys with up to a 15% improvement in fuel consumption and some of the lowest pollutant emissions, will be making continuous deliveries of AB InBev’s beers over the pilot period. When full it will carry up to 1,560 cases of beer. It will be closely monitored by AB InBev and HPH, to quantify environmental savings.
AB InBev has pledged to put the tractor on the road permanently, if the trial show emission savings. The tractor is already widely recognised as an environmentally cleaner alternative to traditional diesel-powered trucks. According to IVECO it achieves emissions reductions of up to:
The project is another step towards one of AB InBev’s four 2025 Sustainability Goals of reducing 25% of CO2 emissions across the value chain. As the company is reliant on a healthy, natural environment, as well as on thriving communities to brew beers, it is championing low carbon technology, to help create a world where natural resources are preserved for the future.
Stanislav Chulkov, Brewery Manager at Samlesbury, said: “We are delighted that Samlesbury is the chosen location to trial the pioneering sustainable technology, in a first for AB InBev in the UK. We are constantly looking for new ways to improve the efficiency of our operations and make better use of our resources, so we hope that the LNG trial is another step towards reducing our carbon footprint and meeting our 2025 Sustainability Goals.”