Whisky maker Glenfiddich is to run its fleet of delivery trucks on biogas made from residues of the distilling process.
The brand said it had created a closed-loop sustainable system that it claims will make it the first global spirits brand to run its delivery fleet on green biogas from manufacturing.
Using technology developed by parent company William Grant & Sons, the Glenfiddich distillery at Dufftown in northeast Scotland will convert its production wastes and residues into an ultra-low carbon fuel (ULCF) gas that produces minimal carbon dioxide.
Fuelling stations have been installed at the distillery to power specially-converted trucks that transport whiskey through stages of production and bottling and packaging across four William Grant & Sons sites in central and western Scotland.
Stuart Watts, distilleries director at William Grant & Sons, said using biogas cut carbon dioxide by more than 95%, and other harmful particulates and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 99%, compared to diesel and other fossil fuels.
“It has taken more than a decade for Glenfiddich to become the first distillery to process 100% of its waste residues on its own site, then to be the first to process those residues into biogas fuel to power its trucks, and finally to be the first to install a biogas truck fuelling station supplied by our on-site renewable energy facility,” said Watts.
William Grant & Sons said it would scale up the closed-loop low carbon fuel process across its entire transport fleet and its supply chain.
It is planning to make the technology available across the Scottish whisky industry to support the decarbonisation of transport in line with UK and Scottish governments’ net zero targets.
The Scotch Whisky Association is aiming for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and moving to a circular economy by making all packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. It also wants to meet responsible water use targets by 2025, and care for the land through the active conservation and restoration of Scotland’s peatland by 2035.
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