Heineken Spain Sets Benchmark in Industrial Decarbonisation with 100 Percent Renewable Energy Transition
Heineken Spain, the Spanish subsidiary of the Dutch brewing group, has announced a groundbreaking milestone in its industrial transformation. From December 2025, the company will produce all its beers, ciders, and summer wines exclusively with 100 percent renewable energy. This move positions Heineken Spain as the first major brewery in the country to complete its energy transition for industrial production, reinforcing its leadership within the global Heineken Group. Spain has become the first market within Heineken NV to achieve this level of decarbonisation, aligning with the company's overarching goal of reaching net zero emissions across production by 2030 and throughout the entire value chain by 2040.
Heineken Spain highlights that this achievement extends beyond renewable electricity supply, having also transformed its thermal energy sources — a critical and challenging aspect of beer manufacturing. The company invested in decarbonising industrial heat, which involved substantial innovation and collaboration. Etienne Strijp, President of Heineken Spain, explains that transforming thermal energy was a formidable challenge that enhances competitiveness and demonstrates that large-scale energy transition is feasible through ambition, technological innovation, and strategic alliances.
The company's strategy involved mobilising over 80 million euros, working closely with partners such as Iberdrola, ENGIE, and CSIN. Its approach integrated energy efficiency with investments in renewable generation—including solar photovoltaic, concentrative solar power, biogas, biomass and biomethane—and circular economy principles whereby waste is converted into energy. These initiatives result in significant reductions of both direct and indirect emissions and positively impact the regions where the industrial activities are based.
Key to this transformation is its strategic focus on Andalucia, home to some of its key facilities. The Sevilla solar thermal plant, developed with ENGIE and regarded as Europe's largest industrial-use installation of its kind, has been vital in phasing out fossil fuels in thermal processes. Additionally, the biomass plant in Jaen utilises olive residues to generate renewable thermal energy, while the photovoltaic plant at El Andévalo, Huelva — operated with Iberdrola — supplies electricity from fully renewable sources. These green energy bases in Andalucia underpin the company's approach, with the region hosting two of its four breweries and two microbreweries, supporting a sustainable and innovative manufacturing model aligned with global decarbonisation aims.
During the project launch, representatives from government and energy partners underscored the importance of public-private collaboration. Sara Aagesen, Vice-President of the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, stressed that Spain had exceeded its 2030 renewable energy production targets five years early, owing largely to efforts like Heineken's. Jorge Paradela, Andalucia's Industry and Energy Minister, emphasised the significance of the localisation, noting that the Sevilla factory is emblematic for the company's European operations. Both officials highlighted Andalucia's contribution to renewable energy generation, which exceeds 69 percent and provides a competitive edge for attracting sustainable industry investments.
Company executives, including Carmen Ponce from Heineken Spain and senior representatives from Iberdrola, ENGIE, and CSIN, affirmed that the project embodies a replicable, transparent pathway to large-scale decarbonisation. This comprehensive plan incorporates diverse renewable solutions and exemplifies the integration of economic logic with environmental responsibility, affirming that phasing out fossil fuels in industrial processes is achievable through ambitious, strategic actions.