Historic investment at Dreher: new fermentation tanks will be placed deep in the quarry

The fermentation and maturation tanks, some measuring up to 22 metres, were transported overnight from the Csepel Freeport to the brewery site in October and early November. To comply with Budapest’s road transport regulations, the largest tanks had to be manufactured without insulation, which will now be added on-site by an international team of specialists in a purpose-built hall.

“Every historic company reaches a point when comprehensive renewal becomes inevitable. For Dreher, this is that moment in the 21st century. Thanks to our professional and business successes in recent years, we have earned the confidence of Asahi Europe & International to embark with us on an investment that is grand in every sense – one that will secure the future of our brewery for decades to come,” 

said Mike James, CEO of Dreher Breweries.

Fermentation – the process in which yeast transforms the sugars in the wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide – is one of the most critical stages in brewing, defining the beer’s flavour, aroma and carbonation. That is why this phase of the investment is so significant for Dreher: alongside the new buildings and 300-cubic-metre tanks, cutting-edge technologies are also being introduced. Next to the fermentation hall, a new energy centre is under construction to later supply the entire production process, while improving water and energy efficiency.

“We are carrying out the largest investment to date in the history of the Hungarian brewing industry – right here at the country’s leading brewery*, on a historic site, all without halting production. This calls for extraordinary creativity in handling every logistical challenge. Our project, called Masterplan, speaks for its own complexity: we had to reinforce 800-year-old tunnels so that a 500-tonne crane can lift into place tanks so large they could not be transported in their final form on Hungarian roads,” 

– said András Rácz, Director of Integrated Supply Chain at Dreher Breweries.

In recent years, Asahi Europe & International have already implemented a number of efficiency and export-boosting developments at the Kőbánya site. These include a HUF 4.6 billion upgrade of compressors and filtration systems, followed by a HUF 7 billion installation of a new aluminium canning line. The Masterplan mega-project, financed entirely from the company’s own resources, is expected to complete its first HUF 30 billion phase by the end of 2026. Further expansion stages will be defined in line with developments in the domestic market.