Young Henrys Algae Beer

SDG 9 Beer and algae: brewing a greener future

Goal 9.4 Upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries

Tackling climate change, one brew at a time Sydney brewery Young Henrys has teamed up with UTS researchers using algae to remove CO2 from the manufacturing process.

Project summary

Brewing beer has one unfortunate side effect, it produces greenhouse gas. Sydney brewer Young Henrys and UTS researchers from the Climate Change Cluster in a world first project are collaborating to address the problem. Together they are using algae as a natural and efficient converter, turning carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Between the vats of brewing beer, photobioreactors teem with microscopic algae, their green glow creating a sci-fi light show among the stainless-steel tanks and brewing equipment. The 400-litre bioreactors are the centre piece of the project with the algae capturing CO2, a byproduct of the brewing process, and releasing it as oxygen. The algae used in the project is up to 40 times more efficient at converting CO2 to oxygen than trees. 

Algae offers many solutions to the climate emergency and this project, funded through the NSW Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Innovation Connections program, aims to lead the way for the industry in making brewing a more carbon neutral process.

The UTS research team is working on a range of other uses for algae to help combat climate change, including creating products for the food, pharmaceuticals and plastics industries.

See the project video here. 

Project timeframe

2018 -  2023

SDG targets addressed by this project

Icon for SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure:

9.4 - By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.

9.5 - Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.

Back to SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.