Absolut Vodka’s net-carbon neutral distillery – one of the most energy efficient in the world – is now powered solely by renewable energy sources.
The company announced that its distillery is now fossil-free, having achieved its goal of phasing out the use of fossil fuels a year earlier than planned.
In 2020, Absolut committed to its distillery being fossil-free before the end of 2025, as part of a wider ambition to become a carbon-neutral product by 2030.
Net Carbon Neutrality
Anna Schreil, VP of operations at the Absolut Group, said, “We are immensely proud that Absolut’s distillery is now not only fossil-free, but that this goal has been achieved ahead of schedule.
“Running a fossil-free distillery on this scale is no small feat.
“The final step – replacing the LPG [liquefied petroleum gas], which has accounted for a fraction of the distillery’s energy use – is a continuation of years of hard work.
“After reaching net carbon neutrality more than a decade ago, this latest achievement pushes us further towards our goal of a fully carbon-neutral product by 2030.”
Energy Consumption
Some 92% of the energy used at the distillery already comes from certified green electricity, and around 7% comes from green fuel, made in house, using waste spirits.
Last year, less than 1% of the distillery’s remaining energy consumption came from liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Since early September, the small fraction of fossil LPG used has been replaced by bioLPG, meaning that the entire production of Absolut Vodka – more than 100 million litres per year – is fossil-free when operating under normal circumstances.
The distillery – based in Nöbbelöv, close to Åhus, in southern Sweden – has been net carbon neutral for more than ten years.
Distillery And Bottling
The distillery already emits seven times less CO2 per litre of alcohol than the average distillery.
Meanwhile, Absolut’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions continue to fall. In FY24, they fell to 103 tonnes – the lowest since Absolut began measuring carbon emissions, two decades ago.
The resulting carbon efficiency of the distillery and bottling in FY24 was 1g CO2/I vodka, compared to 17g CO2/I vodka in FY23.
The distillery’s fossil-free milestone and the significant progress that Absolut has made with carbon efficiency is notable because it produces its own raw spirit – an energy-intensive process – for all its vodka.
Using wheat produced by around 300 local farms and water from one of Northern Europe’s biggest natural aquifers, Absolut – unlike many spirit brands – makes raw spirit from scratch, rather than buying it from external sources.
