Australia’s oldest brewery has switched over to natural gas, thanks to the extension of the natural gas network in Hobart.

The Cascade Brewery has installed three boilers to run on natural gas from Bass Strait. Boilers, along with refrigeration, are the significant energy users in a brewery. At Cascade the boilers produce steam used in its brew house kettles, packaging pasteurisers, fruit processing, and malt kiln as well as for a range of other uses.

Cascade Brewery General Manager Production Max Burslem said the introduction of natural gas will cut the site’s carbon emissions by half and reduce its total energy use by a third.

“We have moved to natural gas at our earliest opportunity following the extension of the gas network in Hobart. Moving to natural gas was the next step in our drive to further develop the brewery’s sustainability,” Mr Burslem said.

Cascade switched over to gas slightly ahead of its original schedule, which was originally set for the end of September.

The Cascade site which includes brewery, beverages plant and Maltings, has had a sustainability program for more than a decade and since 2000 has reduced water use by 30% and energy use by 16% per unit of production.

Cascade’s continual drive to improve its sustainability has earned it the 2008 Premier’s Award for Climate Action and the Large Business Sustainability Award, and several awards in previous years.

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