It’s no small beers as brewing vessels arrive

A HUGE operation swung into action at Dun Laoghaire Harbour last week as brewers Diageo Ireland took delivery of the first batch of 10 giant new brewing vessels.

Each of the enormous containers which are up to 85ft in length and weigh 28 tonnes are capable of holding just under one million pints of the black stuff at a single time.

Diageo said that the delivery of the vessels represented their commitment to the future of brewing at St James Gate and was a major vote of confidence in its Irish brewing operation.

Paul Armstrong, Supply Chain Director at Diageo Europe Beer Supply, who is leading the project, said:

“The arrival of these vessels symbolises that the long term future of brewing in the heart of Dublin is secure for the next generation.

“The new vessels will be partly responsible for brewing 40,000,000 pints of stout and beer each week, most of which will be exported to markets across the world. The scale and size of the vessels underscores the role that Diageo plays in the Irish economy in terms of employment, exports, agriculture and tourism.

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The vessels arrived in Dun Laoghaire Harbour after being shipped from Menen in Belgium via Rotterdam. They will be unloaded by crane and remain on the pier until they are transported in convoy towards St James Gate in the early hours of Wednesday (February 27) when traffic is lightest.

Diageo is working along with Dublin City Council and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council to minimise any disruptions.

This is the first of three such deliveries of 27 brewing vessels in total that will take place over the remainder of February and early March.

At its full length, the convoy from Dun Laoghaire Harbour to St James Gate will measure about 300 metres and will move at an average speed of 4 – 6km per hour.

The arrival of the vessels is part of the e153 expansion and re-development of the St James Gate Brewery. Construction of the project started in early summer 2012 and the plant will start producing beer in June 2013.

Mr Armstrong added:

“At Diageo, we are proud of the brewing legacy at St James’s Gate and the investment in this new brewery will provide the competitive manufacturing platform we need to support Diageo’s ambitions as we look to the future.

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