Israeli Drinks Giant Brews Zero-Carbon Beer

Tempo, one of Israel’s largest beverage producers, will cut pollution by replacing its steam boilers with a zero-carbon heat source.

The company, which manufactures Heineken, Pepsi, and Nestle products, is installing an environmentally-friendly system, developed by Israeli startup Brenmiller Energy.

It stores excess renewable energy by sending steam through pipes to heat crushed rocks. The accumulated heat is then released when needed, to heat pressurized water and generate steam for electricity.

It is expected to have a capacity of 35MWh – enough energy to power two to three thousand households for eight hours – and a maximum capacity of 14 tons of steam per hour. 

The problem is that with many renewables, it costs more to store the electricity, making it less economical than using fossil fuels. This system makes industrial plants more flexible.

Brenmiller received approval from the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection for a $610,000 grant (NIS 2.2 million) to build and install its system at one of Tempo’s plants. 

“We’re pleased to use this initial grant funding from the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection to advance the development of Israel’s clean manufacturing industry by providing one of its largest beverage producers with zero-carbon heat,” said CEO Avi Brenmiller.

“Our talks with Tempo are meant to bring a whole new meaning to what it means to ‘drink responsibly,’ and we are grateful to the Ministry for its support of this novel clean energy project.”

Brenmiller Energy was founded in 2012, and is based in Rosh Ha’Ayin, central Israel.