Duynie’s Circular Solution for Brewers – Feed the World, Fuel the Brewery
Circularity is a key factor in reaching net-zero goals for brewers. Many brewers aim to reduce their environmental impact by minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency.
Duynie offers an innovative solution to achieve these goals by reinventing the use of brewers’ spent grain (BSG). This circular model transforms co-products into renewable energy and valuable resources for the future.
The Circular Model
Duynie has developed an innovative circular business model that transforms brewers’ spent grain (BSG), a major by-product of brewing, into high-value resources. The process has two steps:
- Feed the World: Extract proteins from BSG to create new opportunities in human and animal nutrition.
- Fuel the Brewery: Use the remaining fibers as biomass to replace fossil fuels, such as natural gas.The process involves separating BSG into proteins and fibers using Duynie’s cutting-edge technology. The proteins are repurposed as sustainable food ingredients for human consumption, such as in meat replacements, while the fibers are utilized as a renewable energy source, replacing fossil fuels like natural gas.The pilot implementation at the Heineken brewery in Mons-en-Barœul, France, will commence operations by the end of 2025. Here, BSG will be processed into 8.3K tons of dried proteins, 19.5K tons of dried fibers, and 5.6K GJ of biogas from treated process water annually. These outputs will support renewable energy needs, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and contribute to the circular economy. By 2027, this replicable model is expected to expand to six breweries, and by 2033, to 13 globally. This transformation not only minimizes waste but also reduces the carbon footprint of beer production while creating new opportunities for renewable energy and sustainable food solutions.
Impact and Benefits
Duynie’s circular model delivers significant environmental, economic, and social advantages, redefining sustainability in the brewing industry.
The pilot implementation at the Mons-en-Barœul brewery is set to achieve:
- 50% reduction in CO2 emissions from thermal energy by replacing natural gas with renewable thermal energy derived from BSG fibers, cutting annual GHG emissions by 33.5K tons (an 82% reduction).
- Transformation of 96.5K tons of wet BSG annually into:
- 8.3K tons of dried proteins, replacing soy-based products in animal feed and human food.
- 19.5K tons of dried fibers, used as a renewable energy source.
- 32.1K m³ of process water, treated to produce 5.6K GJ of biogas for renewable energy.
This innovative process enhances resource efficiency by preserving 1.7K hectares of land and saving 114.9K m³ of water annually. The renewable thermal energy generated—274K GJ annually—covers 80% of the brewery’s heating needs, saving 279.6K GJ of natural gas and lowering energy costs by €394 per hectoliter of beer. This results in total yearly savings of €2.46 million for the brewery.
Moreover, the model supports job creation, with 4.5 new full-time roles (FTEs) added for every standardized unit installed. By 2033, when replicated across 13 Heineken breweries globally, this initiative will result in 85.5 additional FTEs and reduce GHG emissions by 288.6K tons CO2 equivalent annually.
By replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and reducing reliance on soy products, Duynie’s project aligns environmental sustainability with economic profitability, offering a scalable solution to breweries worldwide.
Future Expansion
By 2027, Duynie plans to replicate this model in six Heineken breweries across Europe, processing 386.3K tons of BSG annually. By 2033, this innovation will expand to 13 breweries worldwide, creating 85.5 new jobs and reducing GHG emissions by 288.6K tons CO2eq. This ambitious growth demonstrates the scalability of Duynie’s circular solutions for brewers globally.
Conclusion
Duynie’s innovative approach to BSG upcycling showcases the power of circular solutions in creating environmental, economic, and social benefits. As this model scales, it sets a benchmark for sustainability in brewing. Interested in learning more or collaborating? Visit Duynie’s website and join the journey towards a circular economy.
