Chimay beers and cheeses:
a sustainable commitment
Crafting outstanding beers and cheeses can only be achieved with respect for our environment. With this in mind, Chimay has been constantly innovating and modernising its facilities for years.
Swift awareness
On the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, in 1997, Chimay decided to invest in order to reduce the environmental footprint of its activities, a decision in perfect harmony with the philosophy of the monks who founded the abbey in 1850. Indeed, they have always favoured a frugal way of life, based on mutual help among the community and respect for nature.
Solar and wind power
In 2019, on top of the bottling building, 1,200 photovoltaic solar panels were installed. This large-scale project made it possible to cover 15% of the bottling line’s electricity consumption. Today, 80% of the electricity used on site is of renewable origin, produced by our panels as well as by the new wind turbine, erected directly on the site in 2020.
In October 2022, more than 1,000 new panels will be installed to cover a third of the consumption of the neighbouring cheese dairy.
When electricity production exceeds Chimay's needs, the electricity is fed back into the grid to supply households in the region. This strong commitment allows Chimay to avoid the emission of 1,000 tonnes of CO2 each year.
Innovations at every level
Electricity production is a major issue, but reducing consumption and limiting waste is a priority! A such, the heat from the brewing process is recovered to heat the Abbey.
As for the spent grain, the solid filtration residue obtained during the brewing process, it can be used as feed of good quality for the region's cows, which produce the delicious milk used to create Chimay cheeses. Finally, many other developments have been made to reduce the carbon footprint of the abbey, the brewery and the Chimay cheese dairy: a pellet-fired boiler, a more efficient bottling line, reduction in water consumption, insulation of our re-fermentation hall, limitation on travel by the personnel, etc. All these innovations allow you to enjoy our products with the confidence that we are taking care of our environment.
At present, the focus of our efforts is on our heat production. It is essential for the brewing process and requires a lot of fossil fuels, which are, however, going to be rapidly replaced with a renewable and low-carbon alternative.
«Our principle is to leave the world in the best possible state for future generations »
Xavier Pirlot, Managing Director of Chimay Beers and Cheeses.