Ongoing water efficiencies and renewable energy gains as Namibia Breweries champions sustainability

As Namibia reflects on Environment Month, Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) reports continued water efficiency, its biggest operational environmental priority, alongside continued progress in renewable energy adoption.

Namibia is one of Africa’s driest countries, and water security in the Central Area of Namibia remains a critical national issue. NBL says minimising its own consumption has been guided by a reduce, reuse, recycle and reclaim approach which has led to the company exceeding its water efficiency target. “We achieved an eight percent reduction in 2025, using 3.56 hl/hl, compared to 3.86 hl/hl in 2024. This is down 17% from 4.3 hl/hl in 2023 showing sustained improvement over the past two years,” said Waldemar von Lieres, Managing Director of NBL. The company’s longer-term target, as part of its Brew a Better World 2030 strategy, is 2.4 hl/hl by 2030. “Since 2015, NBL has invested N$35 million in water reduction measures, including N$12 million on environmental impact assessments and the drilling of five boreholes that supply around 80% of the water needed for production, and a N$23 million reverse osmosis plant to treat brackish borehole water to meet production standards.”

As a founding member of the Northern Industry Forum (NIF), whose members together support more than 5,400 jobs and contribute almost N$2 billion in tax annually, NBL contributed towards a N$669,415 hydrology assessment of the Windhoek Northern Aquifer to review its long-term sustainability. Good rains bring relief, but there is no certainty this will continue, and demand for water keeps rising. Last month, at the Central Area of Namibia Water Security Workshop, NBL presented a proposal on behalf of NIF, framed as a Triple Win: safe drinking water for Windhoek and Central Area residents, financial sustainability for the City through reserving the Southern Aquifer for human use, and continued business stability that protects jobs and tax revenue. The proposal also calls for a standing public-private task force with the Ministry, the City, NamWater and industry to plan ahead of the next dry season.

Water is not the only resource NBL is working to use more responsibly. The company is also making steady gains as it increases its use of renewable energy.

“We are continuing to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and over the past two months, NBL’s biomass boiler supplied 100% of the thermal energy required for brewery operations,” von Lieres said. “This is part of our bigger energy mix which saw alternative energy sources account for 92.8% of NBL’s total energy consumption in 2025, up from 66% in 2024. NBL’s two solar plants, commissioned in 2013 and 2023, supply around 20% of the brewery’s electricity, and all grid electricity purchased by NBL is now covered by International Renewable Energy Certificates, meaning 100% of its grid-sourced electricity is recognised as renewable. Together, these measures helped NBL avoid 17 592 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2025, up from 3 237 tonnes in 2024. The company’s ambition is to reach net zero carbon in its operations by 2030.

“As NBL transforms into a business which is future-fit so that we can continue to be a major contributor to the Namibian economy, our approach is to take responsibility for the resources we depend on, and to work alongside government, industry and communities to secure them for the future.”