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30 March 2022

First shovel in the ground for heat pipeline from Twence to the Grolsch brewery

Motorists on the A35 will soon be unable to avoid it: the construction of the underground pipeline of Twence that will provide beer brewer Grolsch with sustainable heat has officially begun. Today the two directors and Thijs de Bree, member of the Provincial Executive for Overijssel, put the first shovel into the ground. As of the end of 2022, the heat can be used by Grolsch. This will reduce its CO₂ emissions by 72%: about 5,500 tonnes per year.

Andrei Haret, Managing Director of Royal Grolsch: “Thanks to the construction of the heat pipeline, by the end of this year more than two-thirds of Grolsch’s heat demand will be covered by sustainable heat from Twence. As a result, by 2022 we will be able to switch most of our energy consumption from fossil to renewable sources and we will be taking another big step in our energy transition ambition. Needless to say, this makes us extremely proud. Moreover, we hope that this will motivate other companies to opt for sustainable solutions!”

Marc Kapteijn, director of Twence: “We are going to realise the heat transition in Twente. There are many opportunities for developing a sustainable heat supply. A big step is now being taken by using the available heat from Twence, produced from non-reusable waste wood, for heating buildings and for heating rinse water for beer bottles. In doing so, we are making a substantial contribution to Grolsch's climate-neutral ambition.’’

Sustainable region
Deputy member Tijs de Bree on the joint approach. “We are faced with the difficult task of reducing the use of natural gas in Overijssel. With this collaboration, Grolsch and Twence are showing that with the right attitude and perseverance this is possible. The construction of the heat pipeline will save an enormous amount of CO₂ emissions, thus making an important contribution to reducing natural gas consumption in Overijssel. Let this be an inspiration for other companies with residual heat or a heat demand!’’

The next few months will see hard work on the underground pipeline. The construction work is expected to be completed in the third quarter. From October onwards, tests will be carried out, after which the brewer will be able to use the sustainable heat to heat the rinsing machines and pasteurizers and to heat the buildings from December 2022 onwards.

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