ONYX SOLAR DRESSES THE WORLD’S MOST ENERGY EFFICIENT PRODUCTION PLANT OF HEINEKEN

Heineken has opened a new brewery in Chihuahua, Mexico, which is set to become the group’s most efficient production plant in the world. The opening event has gathered all Heineken’s global executive team, Government officials and over eighty accredited media. This new plant the company’s seventh in the country, will add a production capacity of 600 million liters per year, and will run 100% on renewable energies. In fact, the fabrication process will use 30% less water, compared to the average beer market.

Sustainability and innovation have been boosted by Spanish based company Onyx Solar, which has engineered and manufactured the photovoltaic glass that covers the facades of the fabrication plant. Onyx and Heineken worked hand in hand to create a photovoltaic glass that could improve the efficiency of the buildings as well as to preserve the corporate identity of Heineken; the solution came with red, green and transparent photovoltaic glass specifically engineered for the giant brewery firm. The photovoltaic glass was installed on rainscreen cladding system and curtain walls, enhancing the building’s aesthetic look and aligning with Heineken’s sustainability goals. PV Glass will become a source of free and clean electricity thanks to the sun, it will improve the thermal insulation of the building, and it will filter 99% harmful ultraviolet radiation, as well as 95% of the infrared radiation. It will also let light to pass through, decreasing the need for artificial lighting. Both O&M costs and Heineken’s carbon footprint will be drastically decreased.

According to Dolf Van Der Brink, President and CEO of Heineken Mexico, “the sustainability attributes of this plant are unique in the world, and they will become a design reference for other plants to follow”. Also, he stated that thanks to all this innovative, sustainable features, the plant will promote the “circular economy” model, recycling and reusing 100% of the waste produced.Onyx Solar’s Director of Business Development in North America, Diego Cuevas, pointed out that“Heineken is not only a market leader in its industry, but also a great sustainability innovator. Investing in clean tech and state-of-the-art facilities will positively impact their bottom line and provide them with a fantastic social return on investment. We want to thank their team for choosing Onyx Solar as their technological partner”

ABOUT HEINEKEN
Founded by Gerard Adriaan Heineken back in 1864, Heineken is a brewing company that counts on over 170 fabrication plants spread over seventy countries. It employs 80,000 people and its production capacity reaches 200 million hectoliters per year. Its Mexican division, CM/HEINEKEN MEXICO consists of seven factories and it has over 16,000 employees. “Cheers to a Better World” is the leading slogan for their corporate social responsibility strategy, which focuses on positively impacting the environment and the communities where they operate. Besides the main brand Heineken®, they also count with the following brands in their portfolio: Tecate®, Tecate Light®, Dos Equis®, Indio®, Sol®, Amstel Light®, Affligem®, Bohemia®, Noche Buena®, Strongbow Apple Ciders®, Coors Light®, Carta Blanca®, Superior®  and Kloster Light®.

ABOUT ONYX SOLAR
Founded by Alvaro Beltran in Avila (Spain) back in 2009, the company has become the market leader in photovoltaic glass for building in just a few years’ time. Onyx is headquartered in Spain, where it produces energy-generating photovoltaic glass for buildings using different solar cell technologies. This glass is installed in buildings to generate clean power from their facades, skylights, canopies, balustrades and floors; it counts on over 150 projects executed in the five continents. Onyx Solar has also offices in New York and Beijing, and its customer portfolio include firms such as Apple Inc, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, The Miami Heat, FEMSA-Coca-Cola, Samsung, US Department of State, Marriott, and Balenciaga. The company has received over 50 domestic and international awards.