Beer brewed with pump power

Fancy a cold one? 

The heat pump technology in your fridge already keeps your beverages cool. And now, a UK brewery is pioneering a steam-generating high temperature heat pump to make its beer.

Hepworth Brewery in West Sussex will try out a heat pump on one of its four production lines, cutting its emissions by up to 90% and costs by up to 40%. The heat pump can generate steam at temperatures of up to 130°C for the brewing process, and is the first such heat pump to be installed in the UK. In future, it could be used for the entire brewing process.

What’s more, nothing is wasted: the system will capture and recycle the steam normally lost during the brewing process. 

Developed by Futraheat, a start-up based in south-west London, the heat pump could eventually power the entire brewing operation.

Andy Hepworth, the founder and chairman of Hepworth Brewery, said the government-supported initiative would allow the company to “switch off our oil boiler” in favor of “a dependable new method of reusing waste heat.”

Tom Taylor, Futraheat’s CEO, noted: “Heat is a vital part of numerous industrial processes, from food and drink to pharmaceuticals, and much of this heat comes from steam.

“Historically, heat pumps have been too costly and unable to meet the high temperatures required by industries,” he said. “This project demonstrates that this technology is now practical for a brewery, and we’re confident it can be scaled across various sectors both in the UK and globally.”