Johannesburg - Castle Lite has resorted to using renewable electricity in a bid to beat the load-shedding blues.
While the group aimed to completely switch to renewable energy by 2025, all seven of its breweries in the country have started generating electricity using solar and biogas.
The group has revealed that the seven breweries generated over 9.7GwH of renewable electricity between January and August this year.
“This switch has also resulted in 9 443 tons of CO2 emissions reductions since the start of the year,” said the group.
Its announcement comes amidst another round of load shedding by power utility Eskom. Load shedding often disrupted operations in companies without back-up generators.
For its part, Castle Lite opted for a lasting solution to the load-shedding blues.
“The last week in South Africa has reinforced exactly why Castle Lite is switching to brew their extra-cold refreshment with renewable electricity,” the group said.
“Electricity supply constraints that result in frequent load shedding means South Africans are regularly left in the dark. All too often, there is simply not enough electricity to go around.”
The 9.7GwH of renewable electricity generated by its breweries this year was just a start, Castle Lite proclaimed.
“The brand is on a journey to be 100% brewed with renewable electricity and to fully switch to renewable sources by 2025, ensuring that they use all options available to further reduce the load they take from the grid,” it said.
The group’s holding company, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), undertook to reduce CO2 emissions and add renewable electricity capacity to regional grids as part of its 2025 Sustainability Goals.
In the case of South Africa, Castle Lite said the switch to renewable energy would assist in some way to reduce load on the national grid.
“Using less power in our brewery, means more power for the things that you want to do. It’s that simple,” said Castle Lite’s brand director, Colleen Duvenage.
“Our consumers can do their bit by choosing a beer that is not only hugely enjoyable and super refreshing, but is also reducing its load on the national power supply with its production, ensuring there is more to go around. Meaning more enjoyment.”
Duvenage said the switch would make a difference that other businesses could emulate.
“As a brand that prides itself on innovation, Castle Lite is making the switch to brew with renewable electricity in order to ensure that making a difference is easy,” she said.
“Castle Lite is not just playing a part in being the change we want to see in the world, but we are actively forging the way forward so that others can follow and do the same.”
The Star