Despite an economic downturn, international beer brewer Heineken South Africa will be expanding its Sedibeng brewery’s production from 5.3-million hectolitres to 7.5-million hectolitres a year by 2020.

By 2022, production will have increased to eight-million hectolitres a year.

The total investment value of the expansion is estimated at €65-million.

During a media tour of the Sedibeng facility ahead of International Beer Day, on August 2, Heineken South Africa MD Gerrit van Loo told Engineering News that the facility currently produced 1.8-billion bottles and cans of its brands a year.

Electricity supply constraints have become a problem of late, with Heineken having had to buy diesel generators to keep the Sedibeng facility operational during periods of load-shedding.

As this alternative is costlier than the electricity supplied by Eskom, Van Loo reports, Heineken is considering investing in a solar energy alternative.

Further, as part of its ‘Brewing A Better World’ global sustainability strategy, Heineken aims to increase its local sourcing of raw materials to 23% by 2020.

in the process of sourcing apple juice locally to use in its cider, while also looking at options to grow more barley in South Africa.

Touching on the global sustainability strategy, Van Loo elaborated that the programme advocated for responsible alcohol consumption, with the primary focus on discouraging drinking and driving, binge drinking, underage drinking and drinking during pregnancy.

programme also sets goals for Heineken to reduce water consumption and harmful emissions from its breweries worldwide, while simultaneously growing with the communities surrounding its operations.

The promotion of health and safety, and ensuring correct behaviour on site, including adherence to life-saving rules, are also included in the programme.

Water is also a key area of the strategy, with the facility currently using between 3.5 ℓ and 3.6 ℓ for every litre of beer produced.

As part of its 2030 ambition, Heineken is aiming to decrease this water use to 2.8 ℓ for every litre of beer produced.