Three Scottish companies have joined forces to accelerate the launch of a biofuel technology.
The companies are Ardnamurchan Distillery, Woodlands Renewables and Scotland’s first biorefinery, Celtic Renewables, based in Grangemnouth.
Celtic Renewables has already attracted £43m of investment and the new biorefinery will be able to produce one million litres of sustainable biochemicals annually and five large-scale refineries are planned worldwide in the next five years.
The plant will use Celtic Renewables’ patented technology to convert 50,000 tonnes of biological material into renewable chemicals, sustainable biofuel, and other commercially and environmentally valuable commodities.
The catalyst for the cooperation by the three companies is serial Scottish investor Donald Houston (pictured) of Ardnamurchan Estates who has substantial stakes in all three companies.
Houston said: “Celtic Renewables needs a biproduct of whisky distilling called pot ale to assist in its testing process before starting full production of its biochemicals and biofuel.”
The pot ale is piped over the hill from the distillery to the neighbouring Woodland Renewables, a local business set up to repurpose the distillery’s by-products whilst adding value to the local economy.
At the Woodland Renewables plant it is combined with draff (another distillery by-product) and turned into a nutritious animal feed used on the peninsula to feed local livestock.
Woodland Renewables will transport part of the pot ale stock to Celtic Renewables.
Houston added: “Since their launch, sustainability has been a major component of Ardnamurchan Distillery’s overall strategy.
“Looking at new ways to improve their sustainability and circular economy, this innovative technology developed by Celtic Renewables fits perfectly with the distillery’s objective.”
Celtic Renewables tests with the whisky residue are the culmination of the lab work it started at Edinburgh Napier University in 2008 which led to the formation of the company in 2012.
The substantial equity investment that enabled us to spinout Celtic Renewables came entirely from Houston.
Celtic Renewables’ president and founder Martin Tangney said: “Donald took the risk on us when we had nothing more than a lab-based research project but with ambition for global domination, and he has been both a committed financial investor and a stalwart investor in the people and the concept behind the company ever since.”