Diageo to invest €200 million in Ireland’s first purpose-built carbon neutral brewery in Kildare
Print20 July 2022
Diageo is planning to invest €200 million in Ireland’s first purpose-built carbon neutral brewery on a greenfield site in Littleconnell, Newbridge, Co. Kildare.
The new facility will brew lagers and ales including Rockshore, Harp, Hop House 13, Smithwick’s, Kilkenny and Carlsberg. When fully operational with a capacity of 2 million hectolitres, it will be the second largest brewing operation in Ireland after St. James’s Gate and support the future growth of Diageo Ireland’s beer brands.
The state-of-the-art brewery will be powered with 100% renewable energy and will harness the latest process technology to minimise overall energy and water consumption. This will enable the brewery to avoid up to 15,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually.
As the production of lagers and ales is transferred to the new facility, it will enable St James’s Gate to increase the production of Guinness to meet global demand. Additionally, it will also support the delivery of Diageo’s Society 2030 commitments by creating the physical space required for the use of renewable technologies at St James’s Gate.
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment Leo Varadkar praised the investment as “really great news for the future development of Ireland’s thriving food and drink industry, and also for the wider national economy. It’s also extremely positive for Newbridge and the local economy in Kildare, with up to 1,000 jobs being created during the construction of the site, and 50 once built. I’m sure there will be many indirect jobs too.”
“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,” Tánaiste Varadkar added.
Colin O’Brien, category head – global beer supply, Diageo said the move represented “a landmark day for Diageo in Ireland” which will enable growth in overall beer exports from Ireland.
“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,” O’Brien said.
The new facility will contribute to Ireland’s critical economic and climate policy goals, such as supporting the transition to a low carbon economy while also increasing both food and drink production and associated jobs.
Diageo will submit a planning application to Kildare County Council in September this year and, if successful, plans to commence brewing in 2024 following a construction period of approximately two years.
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