Brewery savings prove no small beer

As one of the first businesses in Phu Tho Province to join the cleaner production in industry (CPI) program of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Hanoi – Hong Ha Beer Company obtained important achievements related to efficiency improvements and environmental protection.

Before applying CPI solutions, the company encountered a major environmental problem caused by wastewater discharged from different production stages, which once accounted for 300 cubic meters of wastewater a day. Without a central wastewater treatment system, the company discharged its wastewater into a lake behind it through sewerage. This wastewater and gas emissions from steam boilers and the fermentation stage all caused bad smells and affected the surrounding environment.

To ease the problem, in 2007, the company worked with the CPI program to apply cleaner production solutions. The company established a cleaner production team with eight members to research and apply cleaner production solutions with assistance from consultants. It began cleaner production with simple, low-cost solutions that were aimed at decreasing electricity, coal and water consumption. The company improved insulation, replaced T10 lamps with T8 and compact lamps and improved workers’ awareness of energy efficiency. Specifically, electricity consumption at the company decreased 144,000kWh of electricity, worth VND127 million per year.

In reducing coal consumption, the company standardized and improved its furnace operation technology, and recovered and classified unburnt coal for reuse. This helped the company decrease coal consumption by 100 tonnes, saving VND140 million per year.

The company replaced broken valves and taps and improved water user awareness to decrease water consumption, and as a result it reduced its water consumption by 3,794cu.m, saving VND17 million per year.

Based on success in the above-mentioned solutions’ application, the company began additional, more important solutions for cleaner production.

Previously, the rate of beer loss at the company was high due to the manual bottling technology application and substandard containers. The company now takes back lost beer (beer overflowing while being bottled) with a specific containers and then filters it again while applying the automated bottling technology and regularly checking barrels filled with beer to monitor potential problems. Having spent VND1.8 billion for application of this group of solutions, the company saved 32,900 liters of beer worth VND164 million per year.

To ensure stable product quality, the company automated fermentation, and product bottling and freezing, and applied advanced technology for beer production and improved yeast quality. About VND15 billion was spent to apply these solutions. They helped the company make a profit of VND12 billion per year and increase its sales from 3.8 million liters of beer in 2006 to six million liters of beer in 2007. The sales are expected to amount to 15 million liters this year.

The company is constructing a 54,000cu.m per day wastewater treatment system. Bad odors have been eradicated. With an investment of VND3.4 billion, half of which was provided by the CPI program, the company realized these important solutions to increase efficiency and minimize environmental pollution.

Tags: Vietnam Brewery industry