Official opening of the beer pipeline

Brewery De Halve Maan is currently finalising the commissioning of the famous underground beer pipeline in Bruges. The project has received great international interest over the last few months and it seems that people are getting impatient. There is good news: the pipeline will be taken into use in September.

16 september

The first "crazy" ideas about an underground beer pipeline started in 2012. The time has now finally come after 4 years of making agreements, planning and testing. The official inauguration of the beer pipeline is planned for 16 September 2016. Many prominent figures and politicians have confirmed their presence for the inauguration. These decision-makers have all supported the project in their own way. De Halve Maan will organise a unique party on and around “het Walplein” and the brewery. “Het Walplein” will be closed off for the private party and local businesses will be involved in the special concept. The brewery is not only inviting its partners and stakeholders to the party but is also pledging to invite the many crowdfunders who have subscribed to finance the beer pipeline.

Construction of the pipeline 

The construction of the beer pipeline is a world first. Brewery De Halve Maan succeeds in finding solutions for a number of important challenges by applying the pipeline technique. The whole project fits in the theme of Corporate Social Responsibility. It combines some nice synergies:

• Less heavy road traffic in the historic city centre.
• Improving the quality of life in the Bruges city centre, less road traffic, less noise, fewer traffic jams. 
• This investment makes further growth possible for the coming years. 
• The value as a tourist attraction can be further expanded: the brewery, with its industrial-archaeological site, is the most visited brewery in the country.    
• The city beers Brugse Zot and Straffe Hendrik continue to be brewed for 100% in the city centre of Bruges.

Technical

The construction of the underground beer pipeline is a technical feat of engineering. The pipeline runs entirely under public property and does not go under any private property. The route runs under several watercourses, the historic "reitjes" (canals), under the underground car park of "het Zand", under the historic city walls and along “de Bevrijdingslaan”. Special techniques were used with underground directional drilling so that a minimum of streets had to be opened up.

The pipeline is 3276 metres long and at its deepest point it runs some 34 metres underground. After many tests and check-ups, the pipeline is now ready to be officially put into operation on 16 September.