The provincial and federal governments are helping Labatt Brewery in St. John’s to change the kind of fuel they use to produce their products.

The announcement was made Thursday morning at the brewery on Leslie Street, with all levels of government represented, including Environment Minister Bernie Davis, MHA Tom Osborne, MP Seamus O’Regan, as well as city councillor Ophelia Ravencroft.

The $500,000 in funding will make the operation more efficient and environmentally friendly by replacing the old diesel boiler with two new propane boilers which will produce high-pressure steam for the plant on Leslie Street.

The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 528 tonnes annually.

The province and Ottawa will each contribute $250,000, while Labatt will match the total with $500,000 of its own put toward in the project.

The switch to propane is in progress and is expected to be completed within a couple of months.