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“Greener” beverages in the Kyrgyz Republic Bear Beer factory before and after modernisation

The EBRD is helping to bring energy efficiency to the Kyrgyz beverage sector

After more than 10 years in beverage production, Aitmamat Nazarov dreamed of leading a high quality drinks manufacturing company in the Kyrgyz Republic. The opportunity presented itself in 2009, when leading national drinks producer Artezian decided to expand its production facilities.

A derelict factory

A new factory site just outside the capital, Bishkek, was acquired with excellent transport links and access to a crystal clean water source – a vital ingredient for good quality soft drinks and beer.

Unfortunately, the building was in a sorry state. It was old, partially derelict and had no equipment whatsoever. Turning the factory into a modern production facility would require significant financial input.

We set ourselves the task of making a European-standard factory. But we ran into tough problems when reconstructing the plant, including a lack of finance. So we turned to the EBRD.

Aitmamat Nazarov, President, Bear Beer (subsidiary of Artezian)

Help from FINTECC

With EBRD financing worth €7 million, the company was able to rebuild the factory from the ground up, using highly insulating materials. Once the structure was solid, it was fitted out with energy efficient production facilities, such as steam boilers, CO2 capturing technology and an advanced Energy Management System.

Some of the equipment was acquired with support from the EBRD’s FINTECC programme, funded by the Global Environment Facility. Through FINTECC, business owners are given grant funding to purchase cutting-edge climate-resilient technology.

A market leader

Thanks to FINTECC’s support, the factory has been rebuilt with energy efficiency as a priority. In countries like the Kyrgyz Republic, temperatures can frequently drop below -20°C during winter. To reduce heating-related energy, the rebuilt factory uses highly insulating materials.

Further, the CO2 recovery equipment and the Energy Management System have driven down energy consumption within the manufacturing process. These carefully chosen climate technologies have helped to drive down energy costs, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

FINTECC helped us install energy efficient equipment and technology, and as well as finance, they helped train our personnel…Our company is very proud to have received official certification of compliance with international standards.

Aitmamat Nazarov, President, Bear Beer

In just a few years, Bear Beer has become one of the market leaders in the domestic markets for both soft drinks and beer. The savings made from its investment in energy efficient equipment have made the business more competitive while helping to protect the environment.

Just the beginning…

Aitmamat is hoping to increase the range of drinks the company offers. Eventually, he’d like to expand beyond the Kyrgyz Republic to newer and larger markets.