Steinecker wins 2025 German Sustainability Award

Steinecker, an independent brewing corporation and subsidiary of Krones Group, has won first place in the German Sustainability Awards (GSA) in the Products category, transformation field Climate, for its biomass conversion concept, Phoenix BMC.

The concept can turn organic waste from brewing processes into a source of substances, powering energy generation in a biogas plant.

How does it work? 

Phoenix BMC is a three-module concept. In the first two modules, spent grains, malt dust and yeast are first processed to extract a liquid protein solution known as protein hydrolysate, and then to derive liquid mineral fertiliser.

All remaining solids are fed into a biogas plant and used to generate energy. This stage is not new in itself. But combining it with the first two modules makes a more efficient way to generate biogas than was previously possible. In their original form, the proteins and ammonia compounds hinder the process. Phoenix BMC removes them, thus allowing biogas generation to proceed at a much faster pace.

Dr Ralph Schneid, head of product development at Steinecker, said: “Unfortunately, many measures aimed at reducing energy consumption and improving a company’s carbon footprint are very expensive and therefore not attractive to many investors. That’s why, when developing the Phoenix system, we put the upcycling of materials that would otherwise be waste front and centre, firmly rooting the circular economy right in the brewery. The concept was a huge success and we’re very proud to have received the GSA for it.”