FOUR projects to develop new green technologies and innovations in the Scotch whisky sector are to receive their share of £11 million in UK Government funding.
It comes as Westminster looks to help distilleries across the UK ditch fossil fuels and instead develop low carbon heating systems.
The UK Government said the sector has the potential to cut carbon emissions by half a million tonnes each year.
Colorado Construction and Engineering Ltd will receive £2.7 million. The Livingston-based firm is to design, implement and rollout a batch gasification proposal using a biofuel gasifier and associated reactive fuel burner – which could enable distilleries to retrofit existing boilers with the means to gasify biofuels.
Edinburgh-based Locogen Ltd, in partnership with Arbikie Distilling Ltd, will receive £3 million to plan to develop green hydrogen by providing the Arkbikie Highland Estate distillery with hydrogen fuel for raising steam in the distillation process.
Protium Green Solutions Limited, in partnership with Energised Environments Limited, Bruichladdich Distillery Company Limited and Deuterium Heating Limited, received £2.6 million to create a ‘novel’ onsite fuel switching process to replace a medium fuel oil boiler with a hydrogen boiler.
A high pressure ‘ultra efficient’ electroylsis technology will look to be used by Supercritical Solutions Ltd, in partership with Beam Suntory UK and Manufacturing Technology Centre, to deliver the world’s first hydrogen direct-fired whisky – with it receiving £2.9 million in backing.
The UK Government’s energy minister, Greg Hands, said, “From London to Livingston, the UK is home to some of the world’s best-loved drinks and the green distilleries competition is supporting producers in this iconic industry to go further and faster in cutting carbon emissions as we build back greener.”
Scotch Whisky Association chief executive, Karen Betts, added, “This funding is a welcome boost for the industry at a time when Scotch Whisky companies are already working hard to reduce their emissions.”
