Widmer Brothers First Oregon Brewery to Install CO2 Recovery System

Oregon craft beer pioneer takes the lead in environmental sustainability by generating 100% of its CO₂ needs at its Portland brewery

PORTLAND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Widmer Brothers Brewing is celebrating the completion of a newly installed CO₂ recovery system at its Portland brewery on North Russell Street, becoming the first Oregon brewer to close the CO₂ loop. The system, built in partnership with ICC Engineering, is another step forward in the brewery’s ongoing commitment to setting the industry bar in sustainability.

CO₂ is a natural byproduct of the brewing process, and as breweries expand production they have been looking for ways to manage their emissions output. Widmer Brothers Brewing’s new CO₂ recovery system allows the brewery to capture, clean, and filter the CO₂ that is released during fermentation and reuse that captured gas for carbonization and packaging. By generating 100 percent of its CO₂ needs on site, Widmer Brothers has eliminated the need to purchase and transport hundreds of thousands of pounds of CO₂ each year from outside suppliers, further aligning its brewing, packaging and transportation practices around environmental sustainability.

“As one of the largest brewers in Oregon, the sustainability benefits of installing a CO₂ recovery system are huge,” said Julia Person, sustainability manager for Widmer Brothers. “We will be able to reuse our captured CO₂ for packaging, reduce onsite emissions, and eliminate the need to have multiple trucks delivering bulk CO₂ to the brewery each week. Widmer Brothers has a long track record of supporting a cleaner environment, and we’re proud to be the first Oregon brewery to close the CO₂ loop.”

This latest investment by Widmer Brothers is among many over the years to make the brewery more sustainable. As published in its 2017 Sustainability Report, Widmer Brothers is celebrating multiple achievements over the last year:

• Widmer Brothers is a leader in water to beer ratio, using 3.77 gallons of water per gallon of beer, with a goal to hit 3.47 gallons of water per gallon of beer this year.
• Widmer Brothers has made a concerted effort to tackle carbon intensity, resulting in world-class carbon efficiency per barrel of beer brewed. The brewery uses 10 kWh/BBL and 1.1 therms/BBL. With the help of Energy Trust of Oregon, the brewery hit 22.06 lbs of CO₂/BBL this past year.
• Widmer Brothers sent 13,000 tons of spent grains to local farms, which helped divert 99.5% of the brewery’s total waste from landfills.

For more information on Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit widmerbrothers.com, or keep up with the latest Widmer Brothers happenings on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

About Widmer Brothers Brewing

Widmer Brothers Brewing helped create the Pacific Northwest craft beer movement in 1984 when founders Kurt and Rob Widmer, then in their 20s, began brewing unique interpretations of traditional German beer styles. In 1986, Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the original American-style Hefeweizen, which elevated the brewery to national acclaim. Since then, the brewery’s iconic Hefe has grown to become Oregon’s favorite craft beer. For more than three decades, Widmer Brothers has continued to push the boundaries of craft beer. Based in Portland, Oregon, the brewery currently brews a variety of beers including Hefe, Drop Top Amber, PDX Pils, and a full seasonal lineup. Additionally, the brewery continues to make a series of limited edition, small-batch beers available in Oregon and at the Widmer Brothers Pub in North Portland. For more information about Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit www.widmerbrothers.com.