© Celtic Renewables
A new biofuel made from residues of the whisky industry that is capable of powering cars has been unveiled.
The fuel is produced from draff – the sugar-rich kernels of barley which are soaked in water to facilitate the fermentation process necessary for whisky production – and pot ale, the copper-containing yeasty liquid that is left over following distillation.
Manufacturer Celtic Renewables now has “plans to build a production facility in central Scotland after manufacturing the first samples,” it said. The Edinburgh-based company is seeking funding from the UK government’s £25m advanced biofuel demonstration competition, following a year of development as part of a £1m programme.
The company’s founder and president, Martin Tangney, said: “Showing the world our first sample of biofuel produced from whisky by-products is a proud moment for everyone involved. We have successfully taken a defunct technology and adapted it to current market conditions, attracting the investment and partners required to scale-up to industrial production and prove that this works at scale.”
And CEO Mark Simmers added: “This historic sample could herald a new era in sustainable biofuel and the birth of a UK industry worth £100million-a-year.
“The process we have perfected takes residues that present a disposal issue to the whisky industry and creates value by producing not only sustainable biofuel but also green chemicals and high grade animal feed.”
Ed Davey, the UK government’s secretary of state for energy and climate change, described the innovation as “a great achievement for the team at Celtic Renewables” and a “historic milestone in biofuel development”.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024