Kildare Co Council has granted planning permission to plans by Guinness producer, Diageo to double the brewing capacity at its new €200m state-of-the-art carbon neutral brewery at Littleconnell, Co Kildare.
The investment by Diageo connected to the new 10 year planning permission for doubling capacity is an estimated additional €259m.
The additional €259m spend will generate 800 to 1,000 construction jobs during the construction phase and the plan to double the brewery capacity at the site will bring Diageo's overall investment in the area to an estimated €459m.
There was no third party objection lodged against the "Brewery 2" planning application.
A Diageo spokeswoman said: "We welcome the decision by Kildare County Council to grant planning permission for the planned expansion of our Littleconnell brewery in County Kildare, marking an important milestone for the project."
The new plans for the 40 acre site at the IDA Newbridge Business and Technology Park at Littleconnell will include a 9,333m2 "Brewery 2" building.
Construction work at the brewery at the site has been continuing since June 2024 and the proposed expansion will more than double the brewery’s capacity to 4.5 million hectolitres. Brewing at "Brewery 1" is on schedule to commence this year.
Diageo had already earmarked the Co Kildare brewery as a production hub for Diageo lager and ales including Rockshore, Harp, Hop House 13, Smithwick’s, Kilkenny and Carlsberg.
Now, the planned doubling of capacity will result in the plant becoming a production hub for Guinness and Guinness 0.0 growth in emerging markets.
A planning report by John Spain & Associates confirms that "the proposed works will increase brewing capacity on site for Diageo's alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages such as stouts including Guinness and Guinness 0.0".
St James Gate in Dublin is currently the only Diageo site in the world where Guinness 0.0 is brewed while Guinness is brewed in many locations around the world.
The brewery at St James’s Gate will continue to brew for its largest and most established markets, including Ireland, the UK and the US.
The John Spain report states that "the proposed development will make efficient use of the site within the existing IDA Newbridge Business and Technology Park (Littleconnell) and is appropriately zoned with an overall objective to provide for and improve industrial and warehousing development".
A separate report by Malone O’Regan Environmental lodged with the planning application states that the proposed development "will also result in a significant step forward in Diageo's commitment to sustainable brewing, as it will set an industry gold standard for energy and water efficiency".
The report states when operational the proposed development will employ 70 people "and will deliver long-term economic and employment benefits to the region".
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
