At Duvel Moortgat, it’s not only beer that is maturing, but also an ambitious vision for the future. Through its Duvel Net-Zero Brewing project, the company has secured €3.8 million in funding from the Flemish Government. In line with our Roadmap, which focuses on creating value together by strengthening sustainable production chains, Duvel Moortgat aims to play an active role in reducing natural gas consumption and further improving the sustainability of the beer production process.
The project is part of a broader Flemish investment programme focused on green heat and energy efficiency. In total, nearly €19 million has been allocated to eight large-scale projects involving district heating networks, heat pumps and heat recovery systems. According to Flemish Minister for Energy and Climate Hans Bonte (ad interim), investments like these help reduce dependence on fossil fuels while strengthening the competitiveness of Flemish businesses.
Every Degree Counts
For Duvel Moortgat, this means a thorough transformation of its brewing process. While natural gas is currently still used for processes such as mashing, brewing and sparging, in the future most of this heat will be supplied by electric heat pumps. At the same time, energy that was previously lost will be recovered and given a second life.
Heat from the brewery’s treated wastewater is recovered using heat exchangers and heat pumps before being fed back into the production process. Large thermal storage tanks store heat when it is available and release it when demand increases. The result is lower energy losses and more efficient use of the installations.
In addition, the brewery is developing an internal heat network operating at different temperature levels. Thanks to this so-called heat cascading principle, heat can be reused multiple times for applications requiring progressively lower temperatures. This ensures that every available energy source is used to its fullest potential.
With Duvel Net-Zero Brewing, Duvel Moortgat demonstrates that even energy-intensive production processes can be prepared for the future. By intelligently combining electrification, heat recovery and innovative energy technologies, the brewery is contributing to the broader industrial transition towards a low-carbon economy.