Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and its renewable counterpart, BioLPG, can offer practical solutions for breweries. In this article, Niall Parkin, sustainable fuels product manager at Calor, explores how LPG is helping breweries across the UK reduce emissions, improve efficiency and build a more resilient energy future.
The UK brewing industry is steeped in tradition, but its future is being shaped by sustainability. As breweries seek to reduce their environmental impact, many are investing in renewable technologies and rethinking their fuel choices.
This shift is part of a broader transformation across the UK’s industrial landscape. The Government’s 2025 Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan and Modern Industrial Strategy both emphasise the need for scalable, low-carbon technologies to support decarbonisation in manufacturing and food production.
From independent craft producers to global brands, UK breweries are re-evaluating their operations to align with environmental goals and consumer expectations.
Globally, for example, Heineken – whose UK operations include breweries in Manchester and Tadcaster – aims to be carbon neutral in production by 2030, while Carlsberg, operating sites in Wolverhampton and Northampton, is investing in natural carbon capture and renewable energy.
These efforts are setting a new standard, and the rest of the industry is under pressure to keep pace.
While solar, wind and biogas are gaining traction, there’s growing recognition of the role transitional and sustainable fuels can play in accelerating decarbonisation – with liquified petroleum gas (LPG) and its renewable counterpart, BioLPG, offering practical solutions that support lower-emissions progress.
Brewing pressures
Brewing is an energy-intensive process. From mashing and boiling to fermentation, cooling and packaging – every stage demands substantial heat and power. Traditionally, many breweries – especially those in rural or off-grid locations – have relied on fossil fuels such as oil or coal.
These systems, while once standard, are increasingly incompatible with the sector’s sustainability ambitions and the UK’s net zero targets.
The food and drink sector is among the top five industrial energy consumers in the UK. Within this, breweries contribute significantly – not only due to their energy use, but also because of the emissions associated with thermal processes.
While larger breweries may have the capital to invest in solar arrays or green hydrogen pilots, smaller operations often face financial and logistical barriers to adopting such technologies.
“Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is emerging as a practical solution for breweries navigating the shift toward lower-carbon operations.”
Niall Parkin, Calor
Although renewables are gaining traction, they come with limitations including high upfront costs, infrastructure requirements and intermittency. This creates a need for transitional solutions that can deliver immediate impact without requiring a complete overhaul of existing systems.
Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is emerging as a practical solution for breweries navigating the shift toward lower-carbon operations.
It offers a reliable, flexible energy source that can be deployed quickly and efficiently, without the need for extensive infrastructure changes.
For breweries seeking to reduce their carbon footprint, while maintaining operational continuity, LPG presents a pragmatic path forward as part of a phased approach to decarbonisation.
LPG is already being used in UK breweries to power steam boilers, heat exchangers and even bottling lines. Its portability and scalability make it particularly valuable for rural or off-grid operations, where access to the electricity grid or renewable infrastructure may be limited.
Unlike some renewable systems that require long lead times and planning permissions, LPG systems can be installed and operational in a shorter window.
The fuels performance in high-demand industrial environments is well established. It enables rapid heat-up times, which is particularly valuable in brewing processes that require precise temperature control. Compared to oil or solid fuels, LPG systems can reach target temperatures faster, reducing production time and increasing throughput.
LPG is also compliant with the UK’s Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD), which sets strict limits on emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates.
It not only meets current standards but also provides a margin for future tightening of environmental regulations, offering breweries a reliable way to maintain compliance while progressing towards broader decarbonisation goals.
Supporting long-term sustainability
Importantly, LPG does not represent a step away from renewables – it complements them. For breweries that are not yet ready to fully electrify or adopt on-site renewables, LPG offers a practical and immediate emissions reduction strategy that can evolve over time.
It supports internal sustainability goals and aligns with broader industry commitments, such as those outlined by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which has called for a sector-wide shift toward low-carbon technologies.
Hybrid systems that combine LPG with solar thermal or biomass are already being explored in the UK, offering a flexible path to full decarbonisation. This layered approach allows breweries to reduce their environmental impact today while building toward a more sustainable future.
Another important consideration in this transition is BioLPG – a renewable alternative to conventional LPG. BioLPG can be used as a direct drop-in replacement, requiring no changes to existing equipment or infrastructure.
It is produced from sustainable feedstocks and can be supplied on different ‘blend’ tariffs. This allows breweries to control the pace and scale of their sustainability journey – starting with as little as 10% and increasing their use of renewable fuel in line with their evolving sustainability goals.
This flexibility is particularly valuable for small and medium-sized breweries that may not have the resources to invest in large-scale renewable systems but still want to make meaningful progress toward net zero.
By integrating LPG and BioLPG into their energy strategies, breweries can take measurable steps toward decarbonisation without compromising on performance or reliability.
As the UK brewing industry continues its journey towards net zero, the focus must remain on solutions that are both effective and achievable.
LPG offers a unique combination of environmental benefit, operational reliability and deployment speed. It enables breweries to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency and future-proof their operations, without compromising on performance.
With the right support, transitional fuels like LPG and BioLPG can help bridge the gap between today’s infrastructure and tomorrow’s ambitions, offering substantial carbon savings without the need for system overhauls.
For breweries navigating the complexities of decarbonisation, LPG is proving to be a quiet but powerful ally in the pursuit of a greener pint.
References
Brewing a Sustainable Future: A Holistic Approach to Eco-Friendly Beer Production – First Key Consulting https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-uks-modern-industrial-strategy-2025 https://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/06/sustainable-beer-brewing-climate-change/ https://www.weforum.org/stories/2021/06/sustainable-beer-brewing-climate-change/ https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-uks-modern-industrial-strategy-2025
