Weihenstephan brewery, situated in Freising near Munich, was established in 1040 by Benedictine monks of Weihenstephan Abbey and continues to produce premium wheat beers. It is thought to be the oldest brewery in the world.

After the installation of an oil-free, variable speed compressor, they experienced a reduction of 30% in compressed air energy costs. Engineering Manager, Gerd Abstreiter, has expressed his thoughts on the new compressed air system, explaining how the variable speed compressor is perfectly in keeping with the hygiene requirements of the brewery. The air compressor is lubricated, sealed and cooled by water, meaning much lower compression temperatures are needed.

The company focused on repairing any leaks within the compressed air system and have managed to reduce the amount of air lost by 50%, which is great news for their energy costs. Abstreiter continued that, “we measured the power consumption of the system and found that the combination of the new compressor and the leak repairs has reduced our electricity consumption by around a third.”