Distillery project pioneers method of making whisky in green way

A Scottish distillery says it has pioneered an environmentally friendly means of generating the heat needed to make whisky.

In what they say marks a global first, Annandale Distillery in Dumfries and Galloway and green technology company, Exergy3, has launched project in a bid to tackle “increasing pressure to decarbonise” the industry.

The project uses a modular, thermal energy storage system sourced through wind power, converting renewable electricity into thermal energy – storing it at ultra-high temperatures.

Hot air can then be discharged at temperatures of up to 1,200C, with the air at Annandale set at 530C, which is converted into eco-friendly steam by a boiler which is used in the distilling process.

According to experts, industrial heat accounts for about 18% of global carbon dioxide emissions, so it is hoped the project will help reduce this figure.

The distillery in Annan has taken a number of other steps to reduce emissions, including using electric vehicles where possible.

David Thomson, co-founder of Annandale Distillery, said: “This is a first – not just for the whisky industry or Scotland, but globally.

“Heat-intensive industries like ours are under increasing pressure to decarbonise, and solutions that can deliver high-temperature heat without fossil fuels have been hard to find.

“The fact that it does so economically, while also helping tackle the rising costs of balancing the electricity system, makes it incredibly powerful.”

The boiler was supplied by Cochran Ltd, an industrial boiler manufacturer.

Eric Daglish, business development manager at Cochran Ltd, said: “Across industry, we see growing interest in alternatives to fossil fuels as companies work towards their carbon reduction goals.

“One of the biggest challenges has been finding solutions that are both practical and economically feasible, but this technology shows that it’s possible.

“We are proud to be part of a project that marks such a significant milestone for the wider decarbonisation of industry.”

Markus Ronde, chief executive of Exergy3, added: “We are delighted to have partnered with Annandale Distillery to decarbonise one of Scotland’s most important exports and look forward to raising a toast with the very first low-carbon whisky of its kind.

“Beyond whisky, our solution could halve global industrial carbon dioxide emissions, while being cheaper than gas and reducing rapidly rising curtailment costs that are paid for by the consumer.”