Heineken has opened a new $500 million brewery in Meoqui, Chihuahua – the Dutch beer giant's seventh brewery in Mexico.
The new facility has a production capacity of six million hectolitres per year, and will produce leading brands such as Tecate, Dos Equis and Heineken for the Mexican market, as well as export markets.
"Mexico is an important market for Heineken," said Jean-François van Boxmeer, chairman and CEO.
"With a developing economy, a rich geographical and demographic diversity, and a flourishing beer sector, we see great additional potential here," van Boxmeer added.
Javier Corral Jurado, the governor of Chihuahua, added that the new brewery will produce "significant economic advantages" for the area.
Sustainability
Heineken says that the Meoqui facility will be one of its "biggest and greenest breweries", highlighting the company's commitment to the country, the region and the environment.
The new brewery operates following circular-economy principles, using 100% renewable electricity and including a wastewater treatment plant.
The company says that this will be Heineken's most efficient brewery globally, and it is aiming to use just two litres of water for every litre of beer produced by 2020.
This is part of ongoing sustainability efforts from the drinks company.
Last week, Heineken announced that it has already surpassed its 2020 target for reducing CO2 emissions in production – three years ahead of schedule.
The company said that it has achieved a CO2 level of 6.1 kg CO2 e/hl, down from 6.5 kg CO2 e/hl in 2016, marking a 41% decline in CO2 emissions since 2008.
Heineken posted a 5% increase in revenue in full-year 2017, according to its latest results.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
