Molson Coors to brew all products in the UK with green energy

Molson Coors Beverage Company has signed a ten-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with RWE, which will see all of its UK operations powered by renewable electricity.

With the deal, Molson Coors claims it has become the first major UK brewer to produce all of its beers and ciders using 100% green electricity.

As part of the PPA, 22 turbines at the Tween Bank wind farm in Yorkshire will supply renewable electricity to all of Molson Coors’ UK operations. This includes the breweries at Burton, Tadcaster and Sharps in Cornwall, as well as the Aspall Cyder House in Suffolk, all offices, the national distribution centre and the national call centre in Cardiff.

Under the terms of the ten-year agreement, RWE will deliver around 75 gigawatt hours of green electricity annually. In an average year, Molson Coors uses the same amount of electricity as around 25,000 households.

The brewer of Carling, Coors and Doom Bar says the long-term agreement will mean that it will be producing more than 1 billion pints each year in the UK using entirely renewable sources.

The move forms part of Molson Coors’ 2025 sustainability goals, including its aim to reduce carbon emissions by 50% across all direct operations. The company’s latest deal allegedly sees the business on track to meet that milestone in the UK four years ahead of schedule.

“One of our values at Molson Coors is taking accountability, and that includes being responsible for the impact our business has on the environment,” said Fraser Thomson, operations director, Western Europe at Molson Coors Beverage Company.

“That’s why we’ve made such bold commitments to play our part in tackling climate change – because it is the right thing to do. We know that this matters to our people, our customers and consumers, and they can now be assured that everything we do, and every pint we make, is powered by 100% green electricity,” he added.

Tom Glover, chief commercial officer at RWE Renewables, said: “We are delighted to enter into long-term partnerships with pioneers like Molson Coors, as this demonstrates that climate protection is possible under market conditions. RWE is committed to a carbon-neutral future and we’re constantly expanding our renewables portfolio to achieve this.”

Earlier this month, the company launched a new glass beer bottle following a trial that cut the carbon impact of its bottle production by up to 90%.