After the acquisition of the Harar Brewery by HEINEKEN in 2011, the decision was made to replace the existing wastewater treatment plant with an entirely new one. The performance of the existing plant did not meet our quality standards, nor did it meet the projected capacity requirements for the coming years. Operation of the new wastewater treatment plant started in December 2013, and has already significantly improved the quality of the brewery’s effluent released into the environment. Effluent refers to the flow of water leaving the brewery, after it has been used in the brewing process. In addition, by using the excess solids produced by the plant as organic fertiliser, we can reduce the use of chemical fertilisers and save energy at the same time. With this objective in mind, Harar Brewery is the sponsor of a research project carried out by Haramaya University, whose purpose is to evaluate the impact of the solids as organic fertiliser on soil quality and agricultural productivity. The results so far are very satisfactory and show an improvement of the crop yield. Further testing will take place in 2014.

Project Results

-Significant improvement in the quality of the brewery’s effluent released into the environment. -Reduced use of chemical fertilisers