UK govt to grant GBP 10m to make whisky production green

The UK government on Monday announced a GBP-10-million (USD 11m/EUR 11m) funding pot to support the whisky distillery industry’s switch to green energy sources.

The Green Distilleries programme will enable whisky producers to cut emissions by turning to low-carbon hydrogen, biomass and repurposed waste to power their operations.

According to the UK government, the whisky making process is around seven times more energy intensive compared to the gin production and emitted around 530,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2018.

The new funding will help the whisky industry avoid the emission of almost one million tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to removing 100,000 cars off the road, the government said.

The Green Distilleries phase I will award up to GBP 500,000 in total for feasibility studies, while phase II will consider applications for pilot demonstration projects for up to a combined GBP 9 million.

“Our plan to deliver a carbon-neutral future doesn’t just mean new jobs in new industries but helping some of our oldest industries to play their part as well. We want to harness the tremendous innovation of our distilleries so customers can enjoy their favourite tipple in the knowledge they are helping us to tackle climate change,” said UK energy and clean growth minister Kwasi Kwarteng.

Trade bodies in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where most of the UK’s distilleries are based, have supported the call for funding.

(GBP 1.0 = USD 1.10/EUR 1.10)

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