CASE STUDY 8 Grundfos – Total water management at Carlsberg’s Fredericia Plant Carlsberg Group’s Fredericia brewery in Denmark historically required 3.4 litres of water per litre of beer produced, with 60-65% used for cleaning, cooling and auxiliary processes. To enhance water efficiency, Carlsberg built a total water management (TWM) plant that treats process water to potable standards for reuse in utilities, achieving 90% recovery ( 1,800 m³/day from 2,000 m³/ day inflow). The plant integrates anaerobic and aerobic treatment, ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, remineralization, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection and chemical dosing. The anaerobic stage generates biogas for combined heat and power, supplying around 10% of heat demand. Grundfos supplied 95% of pumps, dosing and monitoring systems. The facility saves 560,000 m³ annually, reducing water use to 1.4 litres per litre of beer produced. The treatment of water for drinking purposes and of wastewater (including desalination) is a highly energy-intensive process, accounting for more than 5% of global electricity consumption.23 Combining microgrids, energy efficiency smart technologies, and resource valorization such as biomethane production, can represent a pathway to reduce energy footprint. Microgrids are localized energy systems, such as solar panels and battery storage, that operate close to treatment plants producing renewable energy. Smart technologies such as digital twins, internet of things (IoT) sensors, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and predictive AI models enable automation and real-time management of assets to reduce energy use for pumping and treatment. Finally, sludges can be turned into an energy source. Anaerobic digestion produces biogas, which can be used to generate electricity and heat to power treatment operations and even supply surplus energy and heat to the grid: wastewater plants, including those for reuse, can achieve between 30% and 110% net-zero energy supply through a mix of solar PV and biogas.24Improve assets’ energy efficiency and resource recovery Bridging the €6.5 Trillion Water Infrastructure Gap: A Playbook 22

Bridging the 6.5 Trillion Water Infrastructure Gap A Playbook 2025