50 Year Old Whisky

In Scotland, where the whiskey is king, a relatively new field of environmental technology, anaerobic digestion could soon be in partnership with the former method distillery satisfy many energy needs of the island.

Bruichladdich Distillery, located on the island of Islay, plans to build two anaerobic digesters to convert thousands of tons of waste yeast into methane. The methane is then burned to produce energy, with the help of Biowayste, a company that has installed five of Northamptonshire plants.

the carbon footprint of the whiskey industry is considered among the greatest of all food and beverage producers in the world. In addition to the costs to ship heavy bottles of Scotland, the distillation process is extremely energy intensive. And in Islay, the thousands of tons of waste produced by industry comes to a pipeline Sound of Islay, where he was placed in the sea

Bruichladdich Distillery plans to present itself as a whiskey "green" at home and abroad, and they chose the anaerobic digestion as a natural first step.

"We will install two anaerobic digesters on our site where waste is broken down to produce biogas, which can then be burned to generate electricity. In theory it could meet our energy needs," said Mark Reynier owner of the Bruichladdich distillery.

At least another seven distilleries on the island considering installing anaerobic digesters. Their combined efforts could in time provide most, if not most, of the energy needs of Scotland.

"Whisky has a very high carbon footprint," said Regnier. "We have already reduced by using locally grown barley and organic rather than importing it, and these digesters will be lower."

The CBA also softens the case. Reynier estimated he spends $ 36,000 a year just to transport the waste yeast whiskey in the pipeline Sound of Islay. Digesters also provide the electricity needed to power the distillery-at least $ 50,000 per year. Add government subsidies, and Reynier estimated that only take three or five years for him to recover the capital costs of construction of digesters.

Learn more about these new green whiskey here.