DIAGEO HAS ANNOUNCED plans to invest over €100 million into the St James’s Gate site in an effort to accelerate its net zero-carbon ambitions for the Guinness brewery.

The drinks giant said the investment will “transform energy and water consumption” at the site and make it “one of the most efficient breweries in the world” by the end of the decade.

It’s part of Diageo’s ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress Plan’, which aims to speed up decarbonisation aims.

By 2030, Diageo aims to reduce the water used to brew Guinness by 30% and to implement a new water recovery facility on the site.

Diageo adds that the investment will enable St James’s Gate to entirely phase out the use of fossil fuels in its direct brewing operation by more than 90%.

Taoiseach Simon Harris welcomed the announcement and remarked that “Diageo is showing leadership by decarbonising its operations here in its home city”.

He also described it as a “flagship transformation that will send a strong message to the world”.

Meanwhile, Diageo’s Global Chief Executive Officer Debra Crew said that the “investment will ensure that Guinness has an exciting and long-term sustainable future”.

Elsewhere, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke said Diageo’s investment “sets a powerful example for businesses transitioning to sustainability”, while the CEO of Enterprise Ireland Leo Clancy described it as a “landmark project in Ireland’s decarbonisation landscape”.

Diageo is currently preparing a planning application for the project with industry experts and local communities and will submit the plan to Dublin City Council later this year.