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Belgium plans 3km “beer tunnel”

A 3km pipeline is being built in Belgium to transfer beer beneath the city of Bruges from the vats of the De Halve Maan brewery in the centre of the town to its bottling plant on the outskirts.

Xavier Vanneste, De Halve Maan’s chief executive, said: "At the moment, our huge tankers have constantly to make their way through the narrow streets of Bruges. That’s no longer sustainable. This beer pipeline means that we’ll be able to remain in the city."

Around 6,000 litres an hour can be transported at a speed of 15 to 20km/h, with an average journey time of 10 to 15 minutes.

Vanneste told EuroNews: "This is stronger than a steel pipe. It’s really very strong. So we are quite confident that no leaks or illegal tapping points will be there."

A map of the tunnel route (The De Halve Maan brewery)

The project will allow De Halve Maan to continue producing beer in Bruges as it has done for 500 years.

The tunnel is expected to be completed this summer. There is currently no news of an extension to the UK.

Photograph by Rob Mitchell/Stillmation.com

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