The sod has been turned on Diageo’s new €200m carbon-neutral brewery in Littleconnell, Newbridge, Co Kildare.

The new facility will brew lagers and ales including Rockshore, Harp, Hop House 13, Smithwick’s, Kilkenny and Carlsberg.

With a capacity of 2m hectolitres, it will be the second-largest brewing operation in Ireland after St James’s Gate.

The brewery will be powered with 100% renewable energy and will harness the latest process technology to minimise overall energy and water consumption.

The target date for the brewery to begin production is 2026 and it will facilitate the growth of overall beer exports from Ireland.

Enhanced capacity

It will also facilitate enhanced capacity for the production of the fast-growing Guinness 0.0 at the traditional home of Guinness at St James’s Gate in Dublin.

Category head of global beer supply at Diageo Colin O'Brien said that, as a global business, this new brewery is a major development for Diageo in Ireland and around the world.

Minister of State TD for Kildare South Martin Heydon said: “This €200m investment by Diageo is hugely important and is great news for Ireland’s food and drink industry and also for the local economy and community here in Kildare.

"I want to thank Diageo for their commitment to the local area and for the jobs and activity that this new brewery will generate.”

Executive director at Enterprise Ireland Jenny Melia added that Diageo continues to show leadership in investing in the highest sustainability standards and this new brewery will make an important contribution to the local economy, supporting value added exports and creating high-quality jobs.