Groundbreaking Project to Decarbonise Scotch Whisky Industry Announced – Saving 25,000 Tonnes of Carbon Each Year
Key Highlights :
The project will reinvent local, renewable biomass fuel as an energy storage mechanism which can be used during periods when there is no excess renewable electricity generation, and kick-starts the electrification of industrial heat. For the first time in the UK, a high voltage electrical boiler will be powered by wind energy that would have otherwise been switched off when there was too much wind, allowing for increased renewable electricity generation and reduced compensation payments to wind energy generators.
The energy generated at Simpsons Malt Limited’s Tweed Valley Maltings will displace fossil fuel gas currently used in the production of malt. It takes approximately 2.5kg of malt to produce just one litre of whisky meaning the new process will save 275g of carbon for every litre of whisky produced.
Mark Tarry, CEO of AMP Clean Energy, said: “We are proud to be able to support Simpsons Malt Limited on their decarbonisation journey with this trailblazing low carbon project that will deliver large scale Scope 1 emission reductions. This initiative is so exciting because it uses local, low value biomass as a form of energy storage that can provide decarbonisation when the wind doesn’t blow. This is the first project of a kind in the UK and the first time a high-voltage electric boiler will decarbonise an industrial heat process. It could be replicated across other industries. This project will save consumers money and drive forward the broader energy transition towards a net zero future.”
The biomass boiler will use locally sourced, sustainable wood chip, bringing previously under-managed woodlands into commercial use. The scheme to decarbonise industrial heat generation at the new Energy Centre will be completed next summer and will support the Scotch Whisky sector’s emissions reduction targets.
Steven Rowley, operations director at Simpsons Malt Limited, said: “As a Certified B Corporation, we are committed to minimising the impact of our operations on the environment and operating this Energy Centre at our Tweed Valley Maltings will be an important step in our objective of achieving net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030, giving us a company wide reduction of around 55%. As a result, the malt that leaves our Tweed Valley Maltings – 90% of which is destined for the distilling industry – will have a significantly reduced carbon footprint, helping our distilling customers deliver on their own sustainability objectives while also positively impacting the sector as a whole.”
The groundbreaking project to help decarbonise the Scotch Whisky industry has the potential to revolutionise the sector and bring it to the forefront of sustainability. The project will save 25,000 tonnes of carbon each year and reduce carbon emissions at the UK’s largest malting site by around 80%. It takes approximately 2.5kg of malt to produce just one litre of whisky meaning the new process will save 275g of carbon for every litre of whisky produced. This cutting-edge project will also support the Scotch Whisky sector’s emissions reduction targets, saving consumers money and driving forward the broader energy transition towards a net zero future.
