Spoetzl Brewery selects EPS for new $3 Million Biogas Facility

EPS Corp announces that the company was selected to develop a $3 million state of the art biogas generation and wastewater treatment facility at the Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas. Scheduled for completion in early 2011, this renewable energy plant is designed to enable the brewery to reduce its carbon emissions by over 500 metric tons per year, while also eliminating 85% of the treatable waste components in the brewery’s wastewater.

“This new biogas generation and waste treatment facility is a win-win commitment for Spoetzl and the Shiner community”

Using a highly efficient waste treatment process, called anaerobic digestion, the new facility will enable Spoetzl to convert the waste products from its brewing processes into naturally produced methane gas which will be used to fuel the boilers that create steam and hot water needed for beer production. As a result, Spoetzl should be able to reduce its natural gas consumption by over 95,000 therms per year, in addition to significantly reducing carbon emissions. And by eliminating most of the treatable waste components in the wastewater, this process should reduce the amount of electrical energy required for processing at the city wastewater treatment plant.

This new renewable energy and waste treatment plant represents the latest step in Spoetzl’s drive to reduce the overall environmental impact of its brewing operations. In 2009, the company teamed up with EPS Corp to implement a full range of energy conservation initiatives, such as automating its refrigeration controls, installing high efficiency boilers and lighting systems, and altering the sequencing of its air compressors. These combined efforts significantly lowered Spoetzl’s electrical and natural gas usage, leading to a 24% reduction in the brewery’s carbon emissions from energy usage.

“This new biogas generation and waste treatment facility is a win-win commitment for Spoetzl and the Shiner community,” said Jaime Jurado, Director of Brewing Operations. “In addition to further reducing our energy consumption and carbon emissions, it eliminates much of the waste from the wastewater right at our facility, reducing the town’s energy burden on the municipal wastewater treatment facility and at the same time feeding biogas to our biogas-compatible boiler.”

“We’re very pleased to be selected by Spoetzl for this important sustainability project,” said Jay Zoellner, the Chief Executive Officer of EPS Corp. “This renewable energy initiative, along with the energy efficiency projects Spoetzl had us implement last year, demonstrates their commitment to sustainability within the brewing industry. We’re very happy to be helping.”

Source : Press Release