When you're cracking open a cold beer, you probably aren't thinking about just how much heat breweries need to produce endless vats, bottles and cans of the stuff at commercial scale. But Heineken does. The beverage giant is developing a new way to satisfy its demand for industrial heat to generate steam at its brewery near Lisbon—which requires clouds of heated water vapor during the beer-making process, from brewing to pasteurization.

The solution involves clay bricks that can hold thermal energy for days, offering a novel way to fuel the age-old process of making beer while reducing emissions. These heat batteries store excess heat generated during operations and release it when needed to produce steam, creating a more sustainable cycle for industrial heating needs.

By adopting this thermal storage technology, Heineken aims to cut carbon emissions from one of the most energy-intensive stages of beer production. The pilot project at the Portuguese facility could pave the way for broader deployment across the company's global brewery network.