The underground passages of the 13th‑century limestone quarry beneath Dreher’s historic brewery have been reinforced to enable the construction of new production units. In the first phase of the company’s HUF 100‑billion investment programme, the entire fermentation process will be renewed – supported by 35 gigantic tanks that have already been floated up the Danube from Germany.

The fermentation and maturation tanks were transported by road during the night from the Csepel Freeport to the Kőbánya brewery site in late October and early November 2025. The largest units, measuring 20–22 metres, had to be manufactured without external insulation in order to receive the permits required for oversized transport through Budapest. The insulation layer will instead be installed on-site in a specially constructed hall with the help of an international team of experts.

“In the life of a historic company, there comes a moment when comprehensive development and the complete renewal of certain processes become necessary. In Dreher’s 21st-century story, that moment has now arrived. Thanks to the professional and business successes of the past years, we have reached a point where Asahi Europe & International has chosen to launch a globally significant investment with us – one that will secure the long-term future of our brewery,” said Mike James, CEO of Dreher Breweries.

Fermentation is one of the most critical steps in brewing. During this stage, yeast transforms the sugars in the wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide – fundamentally shaping the beer’s flavour, aroma, and carbonation. This makes the current investment especially important for Dreher: alongside the modern buildings and 300‑cubic‑metre tanks, new technologies will also be introduced. Next to the new fermentation building, an energy centre is being constructed that will later serve the entire production process and improve the efficiency of water and energy use.

“We are carrying out the largest single investment ever made in the Hungarian beer industry at the country’s leading brewery*, on a historic site – all while continuing full production. This requires exceptionally creative handling of every logistical challenge. The complexity of our project, called the Master Plan, is well illustrated by the fact that we had to reinforce 800‑year‑old tunnels so that a 500‑ton crane could lift into place tanks that, in their completed form, could not even be transported on Hungarian roads,” said András Rácz, Director of Integrated Supply Chain at Dreher Breweries.

In recent years, Asahi Europe & International has already implemented several developments to improve the efficiency of the Kőbánya brewery and strengthen Dreher’s export capability: HUF 4.6 billion was invested in replacing compressors and filtration equipment, followed by a HUF 7‑billion investment in a new aluminium canning line. The first phase of the Master Plan mega‑investment – also fully self‑funded – amounting to HUF 30 billion, is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. Further development directions will be determined based on how the domestic market evolves.

Please find the video and photo gallery of the tank transport and construction work under the links.

*Source: Based on NielsenIQ RMS beer category sales data for the 12‑month period ending September 2025, covering the entire Hungarian retail market (Copyright © 2025, The Nielsen Company (Europe) Sarl).

The Financial Stability Council of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) has decided to once again extend its Green preferential capital requirement programme. Consequently, transactions issued until 31 December 2027, instead of the end of this year, are now eligible for capital requirement discounts.

Furthermore, the central bank has broadened the modernization scope of the Green Housing Preferential Capital Requirement Programme. This now includes energy efficiency measures for residential buildings listed in the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme Catalogue.

The MNB has also expanded the Green Corporate and Municipal Preferential Capital Requirement Programme by defining new green loan objectives (agricultural irrigation development, development of railway transport, activities supporting the transition to circular economy). In addition, the central bank has introduced new types of financing instruments – specifically sustainability-linked loans and bonds – and designated energy communities as new legal entities to which eligible exposure can now be held.

Information in Hungarian regarding the modified Green preferential capital requirement programmes can be found on the links: Green Housing Preferential Capital Requirement Programme and Green Corporate and Municipal Preferential Capital Requirement Programme

The annual E.ON Champions of Earth competition has proven to be one of Hungary’s most successful sustainability initiatives. This year, the competition is once again engaging numerous kindergarten and school communities to tackle local environmental problems and raise awareness. These green projects are based on collaboration among students, teachers and, in many cases, parents. E.ON is once again providing a total of HUF 25 million in funding to the entire programme, which transforms our concern for the environment into joint, joyful action.

Participants gain personal experience of how to imagine alternative scenarios for a green future, as active and energetic change-makers. Instead of climate anxiety and passivity, the ‘Champions of Earth’ play an active and cheerful role in achieving concrete results through community cooperation, initiating tangible, long-term changes in their own environment through educational trails, habitat creation, micro-gardens, or local circular economy solutions. In recent years, the initiative has reached one in 10 Hungarian preschoolers and schoolchildren, and thousands of children have experienced sustainability – not just as an abstract concept, but as a shared and successful experience.

Prior years‘ initiatives have been more diverse than anyone could have hoped for. To date, the programme can chalk up 1,200 entries, 42 winning institutions, and HUF 75 million in funding among the results achieved, and this year those figures will be topped up by an additional 10 schools/kindergartens set to join the Champions of Earth community. The winners will be selected by a 5-member panel of experts, whose choices will be once again complemented by a public vote to select one of the winners. Chairman and CEO of E.ON Hungária Group, Guntram Würzberg, chairs the judging panel, which includes sustainability experts such as climate researcher Dr Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, climate communications specialist Réka Nagy (Ökoanyu), founder of Planet Fanatics, Katalin Szomolányi, and renowned actress Lia Pokorny. The competition aims to support projects that expressly promote collaboration among students, teachers, and parents, as well as those that have a broader impact on shaping attitudes and have real, concrete impact.

In addition to providing financial support, E.ON keeps a close eye on the implementation of the winning projects. It turns this project oversight into a knowledge transfer forum for  previous and future applicants, who gain deep insights into what makes a successful Champions of Earth project.

eon.hu/afoldbajnokai

The RESILIMET project, implemented with European Union support, aims to strengthen Budapest Airport’s resilience to climate change, particularly in the face of the increasingly frequent severe storms. By modernizing the airport’s rainwater infrastructure, the project will ensure reliable and more sustainable operation; the expansion of oil separators and oil traps will prevent water pollution, the capacity of the main collection channels and drainage pipes will be increased, to handle the increased volume of water, and a large-capacity rainwater storage basin will be created.

Please click here to read about the details of the program.