Building a future-ready brewery for Grans

NIRAS was selected as the engineering partner to bring this vision to life, from initial planning to the final stages of start-up and commissioning, ensuring that Grans can now meet future demand with advanced technology, optimised processes, and sustainable practices.

125 years of brewing

The new brewery facility encompasses all facets of modern brewing, including raw material handling, brewhouse operations, yeast management, fermentation, beer processing, filtration, and bright beer tanks (BBTs).

The brewery has complimented the original buildings that date back to 1899 where the Gran family first started their brewing business in the scenic location of Sandefjord in Norway. While the original building is protected and will eventually become a visitor centre, the new design has taken care to keep as much of the atmosphere from the old buildings as possible.

A multidisciplinary effort to meet high standards

NIRAS’ multidisciplinary team was leading engineering and functional tendering activities, with particular attention to achieving seamless integration between high-level planning and the technical requirements essential for construction. By engaging key vendors and suppliers early in the process, NIRAS coordinated all elements, from drawing up detailed scope finalisations, layout plans, and process flow diagrams to preparing tender documents and handling tender adjudication.

One of the critical challenges in the project was ensuring that the new facility meets Grans’ high standards for reliability and operational efficiency, even under peak production loads. The brewing process, expected to run with high automation levels, will be anchored by a “one operator concept” in the brewhouse. Recommendations from NIRAS included adding an additional steam boiler to accommodate peak loads, ensuring stable operations even at increased production capacities, while cooling and CO₂ recovery systems were carefully assessed to allow for potential upgrades in the future.