Cheers with circular beer

You know when a beer tastes even better? When it's brewed circularly! Harm van Deuren, Managing Director Stadshaven Brouwerij, can definitely talk about that. His state-of-the-art brewery incorporates all technologies to brew beer in a circular way. This has led to a vibrant enterprise with an wonderful and tasty end result! 

On the quayside of Rotterdam's Merwehaven, in the 100-year-old fully restored fruit shed, enjoy a circularly brewed beer with a view of passing cargo ships. Meanwhile, cows feast on residual waste and old scooter batteries are given a second life.

From old scooter battery to new battery 

The state-of-the-art brewery recovers all energy and water: condensation is collected and reused just like the cooling water. And there are 1,000 solar panels on the roof of the brewery and surplus energy from the solar panels is stored using old batteries from e-scooters that work as big batteries.  

Converting waste water into brewing water 

Stadshaven is also working with neighbours down the street. Rainmaker is a company that specialises in making water from the air or by purifying seawater, for example. Van Deuren: 'Their mission is to provide clean water to regions where drinking water is scarce. They do this all over the world. In our brewing process, they make a pilot plant with which they collect our waste water. And they study how to purify it and turn it back into brewing water. When you consider that to make 1 litre of beer, 4 litres of water are needed, this is of course a great innovation!’ 

Cows & bread 

The third innovation involves yet other neighbours: the cows of Floating Farm, the floating farm, on the other side of the Merwehaven. Van Deuren: 'Bostel, also known as spent malt, is a by-product of beer brewing. It is highly nutritious; it contains enormous amounts of protein and energy and is very suitable as animal feed. Every day, a forklift from Floating Farm picks up a whole load from our shed. According to our neighbours, each cow gives 2.5 litres more milk daily as a result. But you can also use bostel very well in human food products. Jordy's Bakery also bakes its beer bread with it. 

Why is Stadshavens Brewery putting so much effort into sustainability? Van Deuren: 'I see it as taking responsibility as an entrepreneur, that's just part of our times. We are all on the same earth and we all want to have a good time. I'd rather add something than tear something down. It's about being a little nice to the people around you, your environment and the planet as a whole. And it makes you sleep better, at least I do! 

Source: Rotterdam. Make It Happen.