AB InBev opens ‘robo-warehouse’ to reduce carbon footprint

By Rachel Arthur

- Last updated on GMT

AB InBev opens ‘robo-warehouse’ for Budweiser and Stella Artois
AB InBev has opened a new automated warehouse at its largest UK brewery, situated in Magor, Wales. The ‘robo-warehouse’ can store 23 million pints of beer, and will reduce the brewery’s carbon footprint by 605 tonnes of CO2 (the equivalent to the electricity consumption of 600 homes).

AB InBev says the Magor warehouse is the launchpad for new warehouse technology, which will be rolled out across the globe.

The 80,000 cubic metre warehouse will help AB InBev meet growing demand for its beer brands – such as Stella Artois, Budweiser, Bud Light and alcohol-free Budweiser Prohibition – in the UK.

It will take under 60 seconds for robotic cranes, operating across six stories and nine miles of racking, to retrieve any of the stored pallets.

AB InBev says the warehouse’s technology will reduce the brewery’s carbon footprint by 605 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent to the electricity consumption of 600 homes, by reducing transportation between warehouses. The robo-warehouse builds on other investments at the Welsh brewery, such as a CO2 recovery system and a waste-to-energy power generator.

AB InBev’s 2025 Sustainability Goals include a 25% reduction in carbon emissions across its value chain against a 2017 baseline; the equivalent of taking more than 1.5 million cars off the road a year.

AB InBev robo warehouse 2

Lloyd Manship, Brewery Manager for AB InBev said: “This investment means we can get our beer out and into stores and pubs faster and more efficiently than ever before.

"That’s ultimately good for us, our customers and the environment".

The warehouse’s technology was delivered by automated material handling specialist Consoveyo, which is headquartered in Porto, Portugal.  

AB InBev UK has its headquarters in Luton and operates three breweries, employing around 1,100 people.  

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