The Rohozec Brewery in Malý Rohozec, near Turnov, northern Czechia, acquired a new steam boiler with ERDF funding to make its operation more environmentally friendly. This has enabled it to continue its long tradition of beer making, with less energy. The EU-funded project was part of an upgrade of the brewery, a process that began in 2004 with the involvement of private investors.
- 12 November 2020
“The new boiler allows us to save energy, but our beer is essentially produced in a similar way to how it was originally made by our ancestors at the beginning of the last century. The beautiful, picturesque countryside and the pleasant, fresh taste of the Skalák and Podskalák beers simply belong together.”
Today, the brewery is a picturesque new complex. The stone-paved courtyard, with a fountain in the middle, was repaired and the facades of the buildings were renovated.
The original boiler was acquired in 1972 and produced 3.3 tonnes of steam per hour at an efficiency of about 65 %. The new boiler has an efficiency of 82 %.
Thanks to the investment, less coal is used to produce the steam needed in the brewing process. Combined with better combustion, this means energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions. The project also included flues and related modifications to the building.
Since the project’s completion in 2015, the brewery saves around 10 000 gigajoules of energy and 1 000 tonnes of CO2 each year. Although the technology is new, traditional beer production methods are maintained to ensure the quality of the beer remains unchanged.
Forty-nine people are employed in the brewery, compared with 47 at the start of the project.
Moving with the times
According to its website, the brewery makes nine types of traditional beer, and six non-traditional beers in response to demand by health-conscious millennials for zero- or low-alcohol beers with fruity flavours. In addition, three types of traditional lemonade are made on site: draft orange, raspberry and cola.
All the ingredients the brewery uses are local: the water comes from springs in Vazovce valley, the malt is bought from malting plants in the area, and the Žatec hops gives the beers their characteristic bitterness.
A long history
The brewery was founded in 1850 by Ferdinand Unger and passed from father to son until 1910, when it was sold to the newly established company Společenský pivovar (Social brewery).
In 1924, it was transformed into a joint-stock company. In 1948, it was nationalised and became part of the national company Severočeské pivovary (North Bohemian breweries) and later part of Východočeské pivovary
(East Bohemian breweries), in Hradec Králové.
In 1935, the brewery was producing 42 956 hectolitres of beer, putting it in 27th place among the 328 breweries in the country.
The brewery was privatised and sold in 1994. Mismanagement resulted in bankruptcy in 2002. The facility was in poor technical condition and the quality of the beer reflected this. Two years later, in 2004, new owners took over and founded the Pivovar Rohozec (Rohozec Brewery) company. They invested in production, restored the beer quality and improved sales.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Optimization of energy use in Rohozec Brewery” is EUR 690 543, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 276 217 through the “North-East” Operational Programme for the 2007-2013 programming period.