International brewing firm Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has announced that it will be using 100% renewable electricity for its European brewing operations.

The brewing firm has signed an agreement with renewable energy developer BayWa re for the supply of clean electricity for its brewing operations in Europe.

Under the terms of the ten-year virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA), BayWa re will be supplying clean electricity to AB InBev’s 14 breweries in Western Europe.

The deal also covers AB InBev’s 50 brands brewed and sold across 12 countries, including its global brand Budweiser.

The brewing firm notes that its European brewing operations produce more than 55 million kegs of beer annually and around five million bottles of Budweiser each week.

AB InBev Europe Zone president Jason Warner said: “As a brewer, we rely on natural ingredients, water, hops, barley and yeast, to make our beers, so we know that sustainability is not just part of our business, it is our business.

“From recycling CO2 released in the brewing process to eliminating plastic from our packaging, we are constantly looking to not only reduce our environmental impact but to have a net positive effect.

“This is why we are hugely excited today to announce this partnership with BayWa re to build the Budweiser Solar Farm, add new European solar capacity and brew our beers across Western Europe with renewable electricity.”

Under the VPPA, BayWa re will supply the 130MW of renewable energy from two solar farms that will have a combined power output of nearly 200MW.

BayWa re will develop and fund the two solar facilities, Budweiser Solar Farm, built in Spain, supplying 250GWh of renewable electricity per year to AB InBev’s breweries.

AB InBev notes that Budweiser brand will display a new symbol on the pack after brewing switches to clean energy in Western Europe, launched across Budweiser in the UK and US.