Sunshine State’s XXXX Brewery Now 100 Per Cent Solar Powered
The XXXX Brewery has made history again, with all beer produced at the iconic site now being made using 100 per cent renewable electricity.
What you need to know
- Brisbane’s XXXX Brewery now runs entirely on renewable electricity via bp solar farm.
- The move cuts 138,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, equivalent to removing 45,000 cars from roads.
- With this announcement, Lion has achieved a renewable electricity milestone two years ahead of schedule.
Brisbane’s XXXX Brewery has made history again, with all beer produced at the iconic Milton site now being made using 100 per cent renewable electricity.
XXXX Brewery, through its owner Lion, signed a new Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with international energy company bp, which came into effect on 1 January 2023. The renewable electricity for the Milton brewery is provided by the Lightsource bp solar farm in Woolooga, near Gympie.
“The 144-year-old XXXX brewery at Milton is one of Brisbane’s most historic landmarks, but this latest evolution to 100 percent renewable electricity proves this icon of Australian brewing, is still capable of moving with the times,” said Lion Sustainability Director, Justin Merrell.
“All of our beer produced here – up to 250 million litres annually – is now made using 100% renewable electricity. This agreement will stop around 138,000 tonnes of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere. That’s the equivalent of taking 45,000 cars off the road.”
Justin Merrell, Sustainability Director at Lion
“XXXX is encouraging all Australians to ‘Give a XXXX’ about the planet for the benefit of our environment, and for beer. Today’s announcement is another great example of how we’re investing in climate solutions to reduce our footprint.
“Lion is an industry leader in sustainability. In 2020 we became Australia’s first certified large-scale carbon neutral brewer but we’re only getting started. By 2050, we are determined to achieve a net-zero value chain.”
Lion will also procure additional renewable energy certificates from the Woolooga solar farm for electricity consumption in other states, meaning the company will smash its goal to become the first large scale brewer in Australia to procure 100% renewable electricity – achieving the milestone two years ahead of schedule.
Prior to commencing the PPA with bp, about 25% of the electricity used by Lion breweries was renewable, drawn from a combination of rooftop solar and a 100% renewable PPA in New South Wales.
The 2,200 solar panels installed on the roof of the Milton brewery in 2019 will continue to make an important contribution to achieving XXXX’s sustainability targets.
“Those panels generate enough electricity to power 150 large homes in Brisbane every year. That significantly reduces the amount of renewable electricity we need to draw from the grid so they absolutely remain an important part of our strategy,” Merrell added.