Budweiser Refreshes the World with Low Tech Cooling Innovation

This year again, heat waves with peaks of 43°C are raging in many parts of the world, increasing energy demand. However, not everyone can cope with global warming the same way. In developing countries, around 48% of these territories do not have regular access to electricity. In those time periods, the demand for cold beverages in these areas has increased by approximately 14% over the last 10 years. The consumption of cold beverages has the ability to reduce sweat output and lower body temperature. But without electricity (lack of network, power cuts, power outages...) and by default with no working refrigerators, local entrepreneurs cannot sell cold beverages. 

In order to alleviate this problem, Budweiser and BETC Paris in partnership with frog, have designed and created the Bud Ground Cooler.

The first sustainable electricity-free fridge that goes below 6°C. 

Bud Ground Cooler was inspired by ancient cooling techniques used in antiquity by Egyptians and Indus Valley civilizations that uses the geothermal cooling properties of the ground to capture freshness. Our Bud Ground Cooler takes it further: before, this cooling system could cool up to 15 degrees – with the Bud Ground Cooler, it now goes under 6°C. The perfect temperature for drinks.

Babatope Aiku, sustainability engineer at frog, innovation and digital strategies experts, says, ”For this innovation we have modernized a traditional underground cooling solution and pushed it further. How? We placed nine cylinder clay pots, that hold the beverages, four meters below the ground where the air is refreshed by evaporation. With new ultra-performing clay cylinder pots, we have doubled air circulation increasing freshness. The fresh air below ground is cooled off even more thanks to an air current that goes through a mast that sits 4,5 meters high in a process known as the Venturi effect: cool air above simply flows down the pipe directly into the ground. The Bud Cooler is sustainable and cools up to 300 drinks below six degrees. There have been many attempts to modernise the system, but this is the only one that works below 6°C without the need of a power supply.” 

The design of the Bud Ground Cooler is also extremely practical for countries suffering from extreme heat. With an umbrella-like top that shades from the scorching sun, the Ground Bud Cooler isn’t just a cooler, it’s the ideal place to gather and refresh from the heat. Budweiser always strives to bring together business, design & technology to create long-term positive and sustainable impact for consumers, companies, and generations to come.

Tim Moerman, sustainability and ESG director at Budweiser, adds, “Instead of investing in traditional media like billboards, we have used those funds to install these branded coolers in local businesses. This way, we can promote our brand in a way that is useful for communities. This is a ground breaking and completely autonomous system. That’s why Budweiser is installing the Bud Cooler across the remotest regions in Morocco, and will expand into other countries, such as Turkey, that has already signed up for the initiative.”

Sadly, because global warming is here to stay and people living in developing countries are the most affected by the climate crisis, innovations like the Bud Ground Cooler can become a long-term sustainable solution to help those affected by extreme heat. 

*as tested in a lab in Paris, France in 2022 and confirmed in 2023 in Morocco’s real-life conditions.