Brief
Starting in the summer of 2023, Birra Peroni, a part of the Asahi Group, embarked on a sustainable journey by commissioning Absolicon’s solar thermal field at their Bari production site in Italy. This pilot installation signifies a significant step toward decarbonising the brewery’s operations and aligns with Asahi’s goal of achieving carbon neutrality across its brewing facilities by 2030.
Technology
The concentrated solar collector Absolicon T160, a small parabolic trough with an operational temperature of up to 160°C heat and 8 bar steam, and plant integration provide Birra Peroni with solar thermal energy to run the pasteurizer in the Bari brewery. The 400 kWth solar thermal field covers part of the brewery’s annual thermal energy demand. During sunnier summer months, the collectors ramp up their solar heat production to satisfy a larger part of the thermal energy demanded for the pasteurizer process.
During a one-year evaluation, the solar installation will provide insights into how the concentrating solar technology can replace fossil fuels dependency in Birra Peroni plants. The evaluation period serves as basis to define the scope and detailed design for a potential bigger project, estimated at around 12,000m2. At any point during this evaluation period, Birra Peroni has the flexibility to proceed with the larger project, fast-tracking their sustainability goals.
Financial Structure
Absolicon is providing its patented concentrated solar collector Absolicon T160 and plant integration. Birra Peroni will then buy the solar heat produced through a heat purchase agreement to run the brewing processes.