Hepworth Brewery in Sussex, which is an energy intensive process already in the industry, is leading the way in shifting to drastically minimise its carbon footprint. A high temperature heat pump is being trialled by the independent brewery that is famous for traditional ales and craft beers, to see if it can reduce energy use by up to 10 percent and set a new benchmark for brewer emissions.
Developed by Futraheat, the new Greensteam heat pump technology has been installed to target the emissions heavy boiling stage of beer production. Unlike conventional heat pumps that typically operate at lower temperatures, this model can deliver steam at 130°C, a breakthrough for industrial processes that demand high temperature heating. If successfully integrated across the brewery’s entire operations, it’s projected to cut carbon emissions by up to 90% and reduce fuel costs by 40%.
The brewery is partnering with sustainable technology companies to achieve these goals. Hepworth Brewery Chairman, Andy Hepworth, emphasised the importance of the project:
“Sustainability has driven the way we do business from Day 1 and the heat pump, if successful in trial, will be an important next step on our journey to carbon neutrality”
He added that the Greensteam technology offers a transformative solution to a problem that has long plagued high-energy industries.
Tom Taylor, CEO of Futraheat, highlighted the wider implications of the technology:
“Heat is a major component of a huge range of industrial processes, and vast amounts of it are delivered by steam. Until now, heat pumps have been both unaffordable and unable to deliver heat at the temperature that industry requires”
The project demonstrates how heat pump technology can be made applicable not only for breweries but across various sectors.
The heat pump idea doesn’t stop there. Honeywell writes that their Solstice® 1233zd refrigerant is also being used in the heat pump system of the Hepworth Brewery. Julien Soulet, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Sustainability and Decarbonisation in EMEA, explained the significance of the integration:
“Our Solstice technology is non-toxic, non-flammable, and supports companies in reaching their carbon reduction and energy consumption goals. At the same time, it also meets the environmental needs of various industries like food and beverage, which enable businesses like Hepworth Brewery to take advantage of this innovative technology”
The brewery’s broader sustainability initiatives include installing solar panels, using reed beds to treat wastewater, and taking heat from beer chillers to warm the brewery offices and tap room. They are also planning to install an anaerobic digester to convert organic matter into biomethane, which will treat around 7,800 cubic meters of wastewater annually and save over 100 tonnes of CO₂ emissions.
This holistic approach shows that Hepworth is aiming to become 85 per cent carbon neutral by the end of 2025. With this, Hepworth Brewery is setting a trend for other breweries to follow and at the same time showing how sustainable solutions are becoming increasingly part of the process of transforming traditional industries.
