Scottish Distillery is Going Green with Biomass Boiler

Biomass solutions are making news in Scotland as the Balmenach Distillery in Speyside receives funding from the UK Green Investment Bank (GIB). The £5M in funding from the GIB is part of a larger project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut fuel costs from distilleries in the Scottish Highlands. The Balmenach Distillery in Speyside will use the £1M of funds allocated to their improvements to replace the distillery’s current oil-fired boiler with a biomass boiler. Two other distilleries, Tomatin Distillery near Inverness and Aberfeldy Distillery in Perthshire, have already benefited from the £5M in funding announced last month from the GIB.

Whisky is one of Scotland’s best-known manufactured products. The Scotch Whisky Association is striving to reduce energy costs as part of its goals for going green.

The Balmenach Distillery is the producer of Caorunn Gin, known as a super-premium small batch Scottish Gin infused with handpicked botanicals inspired by the Celtic tradition. As one of the oldest distilleries in Speyside, the Balmenach Distillery can trace back its roots to 1824. While closing its doors in 1993, the Inver Distillers Group — owned by ThaiBev, a leading Asian drinks business — bought the distillery in 1998 to reopen it for business.

The installation of the new biomass boiler at the Balmenach Distillery will reduce energy costs to a third of current energy costs as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5,000 tons a year. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at the Balmenach distillery is the equivalent of taking over 2,200 cars off the road. The new biomass boiler will allow for cost-effective renewable energy and will produce steam necessary for the whisky production process.

The installment of biomass boiler systems at the Tomatin Distillery and Aberfeldy Distillery has already seen an 80% reduction in greenhouse emissions and fuel costs.

Rob Cormie, group operations director of the GIB, said, “…Projects like this provide a sustainable supply of renewable energy; save distilleries money and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. With limited capital investment, distilleries can save money from day one while also helping to meet the industry’s ambitious green targets.”

Read more about AGCO Biomass Solutions by visiting: http://bit.ly/AGCOBiomass.