Beer process powered by Wellington's wind

Energy is a vital resource for breweries, as it heats the brewing water and runs the mill, brew house, pumps and packaging lines. Garage Project, a New Zealand-based brewery, has partnered with energy company Meridian to generate energy for the brewery.

Being based in one of the windiest city in the world, Wellington, it was a natural choice for Garage Project to partner with Meridian, which only produces electricity from 100% renewable resources — including from the Brooklyn Wine Turbine.

To mark Garage Project’s partnership with Meridian, the brewery has released Turbine Pale Ale — a fresh spin on an original style of ale, as the brewery generates power in a sustainable way.

The collaboration between the brewery and Meridian provides a renewable energy source for the brewery, certified by the New Zealand Energy Certificate System (NZECS). Consumers of electricity can purchase certification for the particular type and volume of electricity generation they value.

Despite not being directly plugged into the turbine, the electricity used by the Garage Project is matched on an annual basis with 100% renewable energy, generated from Meridian’s Brooklyn turbine.

“It’s important to set an example and show you can be in business and do your bit for sustainability too. We can brew the beer we love, be sustainable and celebrate Wellington, the city we love. Turbine Pale Ale is all of these things,” said Michael Healy, CMO of Meridian.

Having an understanding of how electricity is generated allows consumers to consider the environmental impact of electricity generation, enabling them to make an active choice as to which generator to partner with.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/Givaga