GlenAllachie’s Green Revolution: Spearheading Sustainable Scotch Whisky Production
The GlenAllachie has been selected for a grant from the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF), earmarked for the implementation of technology set to significantly enhance the distillery’s energy efficiency.
The renowned Speyside distillery plans to implement a mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) system. This innovative technology will capture and recycle waste heat from the distillery’s still house, which would otherwise be lost, redirecting it back into the stills.
The implementation of this system is projected to slash GlenAllachie’s energy requirements by a staggering 50%, considering that approximately 70% of its current energy usage is dedicated to operating its four pot stills.
Furthermore, this initiative marks a pivotal step in GlenAllachie’s transition from natural gas to more sustainable energy sources. The distillery already generates biogas from its by-products, and the MVR system will be supplemented by 134 solar panels, to be installed in an adjacent field. GlenAllachie is also collaborating with Highlands and Islands Enterprise to refine the controls and bolster the efficiency of its existing boiler system.
To facilitate the installation of the MVR system, energy provider SSE is enhancing local infrastructure and fitting a larger transformer.
Richard Beattie, The GlenAllachie’s Operations Director, expressed his excitement about the grant: “We’re ecstatic about our successful grant application for this project, which will considerably elevate our sustainability profile as an SME [small- to medium-sized enterprise]. We’re deeply conscious of the climate crisis and are committed to leading the Scotch whisky industry in decarbonizing our processes.
“Green technology, often costly in its developmental stages, can hinder smaller, independent companies from acquiring the necessary equipment to realize their eco-friendly objectives. This financial support from the SIETF, endorsed by the Scottish government, is crucial in enabling such progress.”
In this venture, GlenAllachie is supported by the engineering expertise of Briggs of Burton, which is also advising on the development of the Ardgowan Distillery at Inverkip.
