Diageo has announced plans to investment €200m to build Ireland's first carbon neutral brewery on a greenfield site near Newbridge, Co Kildare.
The Guinness owner will submit a planning application to Kildare County Council in September and, if successful, it expects construction to take two years and brewing to commence in 2024.
The new facility will brew lagers and ales, including Rockshore, Harp, Hop House 13, Smithwick’s, Kilkenny and Carlsberg, and when fully operational it will have a capacity of 2m hectolitres, making it the second largest brewery in the state after St James's Gate.
The brewery will be powered solely by renewable energy and will also use technology to minimise energy and water consumption, cutting out 15,000 metric tonnes in annual carbon emissions.
Production of lager and ales will be transferred from St James's Gate allowing the Liberties site to increase production of Guinness, and it will also allow renewable technologies to be installed at the Dublin brewery.
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Colin O'Brien, head of global beer supply at Diageo, said it was a "landmark day" for the company and that the opening of the Kildare site would allow Irish beer exports to grow.
"We are fully committed to embedding sustainability across our business from grain to glass and this announcement represents the next step in our integrated approach towards achieving one of Diageo’s Society 2030: Spirit of Progress commitments by becoming carbon neutral in our direct operations," he said.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar welcomed the announcement as well as the creation of up to 1,000 jobs during the construction of the site, and 50 once built.
"We must leave the planet in a better way than we found it. Industry has a role to play and I’m really pleased to see Diageo taking the lead and investing in this carbon-neutral brewery, which I’m sure will be a leading example for others," he continued.
Leo Clancy, CEO of Enterprise Ireland, said: “Diageo’s decision to invest in a second brewery in Ireland is a fantastic endorsement of the Irish food & drink ecosystem. Diageo is a key client of Enterprise Ireland, and we look forward to continuing to partner with them as they embark on this ambitious project to create Ireland’s first purpose-built carbon neutral brewery.
"The new facility will make an important contribution to the local economy, supporting value added exports, creating high quality jobs, and doing so in line with the highest sustainably standards.”
Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, said: “IDA Ireland welcomes this proposed development in Kildare of Ireland’s first purpose-built carbon neutral brewery by Diageo, a substantial and valued employer in Ireland.
"This proposed investment demonstrates Diageo’s continued commitment to sustainability, which is also a key pillar of IDA Ireland’s current strategy Driving Recovery and Sustainable Growth 2021 – 2024.”
Diageo reported net sales of £8bn for the half-year ending last December, an increase of 15.8% year-on-year, and saw its operating profit increase 22.5% to £2.7bn.
Photo: (l-r): Mark Christal, Divisional Manager, Food and Sustainability, Enterprise Ireland; Ellen McGrane, Brewing and Fermentation Day Manager, Diageo; Colin O’Brien; Henry Yates, Barley Grower; Aidan Crowe, Beer Operations Director, Diageo; Sonya Kavanagh, Kildare County Council. (Pic: Marc O'Sullivan)
