Not just beer: Heineken’s plan for water resources in Taranto

In 2010, it took 7 litres of water to produce one litre of beer; now, however, the figure is below 3, representing a 60 per cent reduction per hectolitre. Furthermore, from 2010 to the present day, the Heineken Group in Italia – where it has four breweries, 2,000 employees and produces 7 million hectolitres – has saved around 15 million hectolitres of water through a series of efficiency measures. Furthermore, the Massafra plant in the province of Taranto – one of the company’s four, and the first to be acquired by Heineken in Italia fifty years ago – is entirely powered by energy from renewable sources and is equipped with a solar panel system. And now Massafra is becoming a benchmark for Heineken in another significant project: meeting the water needs of local agriculture, specifically in Castellaneta, by preventing farmers from extracting water from the aquifer via wells. As an alternative to drawing water from the aquifer – one of Puglia’s main reserves, which will thus be protected from depletion – water for the fields will come from the River Bradano and the San Giuliano dam in Basilicata. In summary, this amounts to 318,000 cubic metres of water per year sourced from a different supply; 318,000 cubic metres, which is the equivalent of 130 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Heineken will finance the entire investment, which is set to begin this year and come into operation in 2028. Essentially, the wells will no longer be in use; a 10,000-cubic-metre storage reservoir, which has existed for some time, will be restored and made operational; and a pumping and distribution system, along with 5 kilometres of pipelines, will be built to deliver the water to its destination. At present, however, the condition of the reservoir and the lack of pipelines prevent water from San Giuliano from irrigating the countryside around Castellaneta. For this project, Heineken has enlisted the support of ARIF – the Apulian regional agency for irrigation and forestry – and the Province of Taranto.

“This is a project that is very important to us and which reflects our role in the local area,” says Alexander Koch, managing director of Heineken Italia. “Growth and sustainability go hand in hand, and reducing our environmental impact and fostering our relationship with the communities in which we operate are key elements of our strategy. “Businesses must also bear a responsibility that extends beyond their own boundaries, and our ‘Valore Acqua’ project aims to bring value to this part of Puglia.”

“Valore Acqua,” explains Leo Gasparri, sustainability manager at Heineken Italia, “is a project that extends beyond the brewery’s walls and stems from the bond we have with the local area and the commitment we have made to try to contribute to the well-being of this region. Together with Arif, we will be restoring a surface water network in the Castellaneta area. At present, water is drawn from the aquifer, which is the same source from which the brewery partly obtains its supply. However, we want to avoid this extraction. We will certify the figure of 318,000 cubic metres of water once the work is complete. We aim to finish it in the early months of 2028. There will be a testing phase and a process to certify the figures. For us, it is not simply a matter of saving water. We have already made investments – continues Gasparri – and in February, together with Tecnoacque, we launched a project for the reuse of rainwater in Massafra. At group level, the figures show 15 million hectolitres of water saved since 2010. However, this relates to our breweries, whereas this project is outside our complex. It is a matter of giving back; it is about ensuring that 318,000 cubic metres are not extracted from the aquifer but remain there. The investment? We are a listed company; we have strict rules, and at this stage we want to focus more on the project’s characteristics, its environmental impact and the water-related figures. We are not yet sharing or disclosing the investment figures. The entire cost will be borne by us. We have selected a local company, Magazzile, as our partner.”

According to the plant manager, Alessandro Merlo, “Massafra is not just a production site. It is where Heineken’s adventure in Italia began; it has been part of the group’s history in Italia for 50 years and serves as a benchmark – not only in Italia but across the group – for efficiency, innovation and sustainability”. Today, the Massafra site consumes 2.75 hectolitres of water and 41 MJ of thermal energy per hectolitre of beer produced, and generates 4.42 GWh of energy from photovoltaic panels annually. The plant covers 185,000 square metres, produces 1.8 million hectolitres annually, has 4 brands and 54 product variants, and employs 135 people.