The UK Government has launched a £10m (€11m) fund aimed at supporting technologies that can potentially decarbonise Scotland’s distillery industry.
The Green Distilling Fund, first announced in March’s budget, will support distilleries in their efforts to harness energy sources such as low carbon hydrogen, biomass and repurposed waste to power their operations.
Kwasi Kwarteng, Minister for Energy and Clean Growth at BEIS, said: “Scottish distilleries will not only be producing iconic drinks enjoyed the world over, but will now also be blazing a trail by developing cutting edge low carbon technologies in the process.
“We want to harness the tremendous innovation of our distilleries so customers can enjoy their favourite tipple in the knowledge they are helping to tackle climate change.”
Currently, 133 malt and grain distilleries operate in Scotland making up nearly half of all distilleries in the UK.
The government funding will help them produce their world-famous wares while contributing to taking pollution equivalent to emissions from 100,000 cars out of the atmosphere.
Scottish Whisky Association director of industry Dagmar Droogsma (pictured) said: “The Scotch Whisky industry welcomed the new Green Distilling Fund announced in the March Budget as an important step on our sustainability journey.
“The use of innovative technology is among several approaches that the industry could adopt as it works towards net zero by 2045, as outlined in our recent net zero report.
“This fund will provide us with the opportunity to put forward bids for demonstration projects for so-far untested technologies, helping the Scotch Whisky industry play its part in reaching Scotland’s emissions targets.”
The funding will also be open to distillers producing over 110 Scottish gins that include Tanqueray.
During a visit to Benromach Distillery in Speyside, UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: “Scotland is world famous for its whisky and gin distilleries, they are one of our greatest success stories and as I have seen for myself at Benromach Distillery are at the heart of our local communities employing over 11,000 people many in our rural areas.”