https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2021/07/glenfiddich-uses-own-whisky-waste-to-fuel-trucks/ * IET sites + The IET - Global + The IET - Americas + The IET - China + The IET - India + IET Academy + IET Bookshop + IET Career Manager + IET Digital Library + IET Education (ages 4-19) + IET Electrical + IET Engineering Communities + IET.tv + IET Venues + E&T Jobs + E&T Magazine + Foothold + Work for The IET WelcomeYour IET account [ ]Search Toggle navigation Menu E&T logo * Home * E&T News email * Latest issue * Back issues * Webinars * Whitepapers * E&T jobs View of the Glenfiddich truck, that runs on whiskey-by-product based biogas in Scotland, Britain in this undated handout obtained July 26, 2021. Glenfiddich uses own whisky waste to fuel trucks Image credit: Courtesy of William Grant & Sons/Handout via Reuters By E&T editorial staff Published Tuesday, July 27, 2021 Scotch whisky maker Glenfiddich has announced that it will convert its delivery trucks to run on low-emission biogas made from waste products from its own whisky distilling process. The company said it has installed fuelling stations at its Dufftown distillery in north-eastern Scotland which use technology developed by its parent company William Grant and Sons. It will convert its production waste and residues into an Ultra-Low Carbon Fuel (ULCF) gas that produces minimal carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions. Glenfiddich said the transition to using fuel made from the distillery's waste product is part of a "closed-loop" sustainability initiative. Stuart Watts, distillery director at William Grant, said traditionally Glenfiddich has sold off spent grains left over from the malting process to be used for a high-protein cattle feed. However, through anaerobic digestion - where bacteria break down organic matter, producing biogas - the distillery can also use the liquid waste from the process to make fuel and eventually recycle all of its waste products this way. "The thought process behind this was 'What can we do that's better for us all?'," Watts said. View of the Glenfiddich truck, that runs on whiskey-by-product based biogas, in Dufftown, Scotland, Britain in this undated handout obtained July 26, 2021. View of the Glenfiddich truck, that runs on whiskey-by-product based biogas, in Dufftown, Scotland. Image credit: William Grant & Sons/Handout via Reuters The distiller, which sells over 14 million bottles of single-malt whisky a year, said its whisky waste-based biogas is already powering three specially converted trucks that transport Glenfiddich spirit from production at Dufftown through to bottling and packaging, covering four William Grant sites in central and western Scotland. Sixteenth-century English chronicler Raphael Holinshed wrote that, when consumed moderately, whisky's many medicinal benefits include preventing the "head from whirling, the tongue from lisping... the hands from shivering, the bones from aching." Experts now add that its waste products could also benefit the environment. The biogas emitted by whisky's production process cuts CO2 emissions by over 95 per cent compared to diesel and other fossil fuels and reduces other harmful particulates and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 99 per cent, Glenfiddich said. The trucks Glenfiddich is using are converted vehicles from truck maker Iveco that normally run on liquefied natural gas. Each biogas truck will displace up to 250 tonnes of CO2 annually, according to the distiller. Glenfiddich has a fleet of around 20 trucks and Watts believes the technology could be applied throughout the delivery fleets of William Grant and Sons' whisky brands. It could also be scaled up to fuel other company's trucks. The Scottish whisky industry hopes to hit carbon net-zero targets by 2040. William Grant & Sons/Reuters Stuart Watts, a director of Glenfiddich parent company William Grant & Sons, stands by a fuelling station next to their truck, that runs on whiskey-by-product based biogas, in Dufftown, Scotland. Image credit: Stuart Watts, a director of Glenfiddich parent company William Grant & Sons, stands by a fuelling station next to their truck, that runs on whiskey-by-product based biogas, in Dufftown, Scotland, Britain in this undated handout obtained July 26, 2021 Earlier this year, Nova Innovation installed a series of underwater turbines off the west coast of Scotland, with its turbines generating renewable energy to power local Scotch whisky distilleries. Last year, the Government announced a PS10m fund to assist UK distilleries with transitions to low-carbon fuels, such as hydrogen and biomass. Glenfiddich is not the only one using its waste products to fuel its vehicles. In 2012, independent whisky maker Tullibardine became the world's first distillery to supply ingredients to make biofuel for vehicles from its waste products. * food and drink * renewable energy * environment * vehicle propulsion * transport * sustainability Sign up to the E&T News e-mail to get great stories like this delivered to your inbox every day. Related stories [gif] Exclusive Climate injustice: how a biocarbon fund failed Uganda's tree planters [] Thermal Engineer England, Oxfordshire, Didcot PS31931.0 - PS44166.0 per annum [] Project Manager (Science Research Infrastructure Projects) Harwell, Didcot PS39,748 to PS44,166 per annum [gif] More than 75,000 green jobs lost in past five years, Labour says [gif] Stinkweed could make for greener renewable jet fuel [gif] Superabsorbent nappy polymers could be recycled into stationery [gif] Audio-visual cues to assist disabled to become mandatory on public transport [gif] Paris Agreement action could boost energy jobs by eight million [gif] Government pushes road freight greening with PS20m funding boost [gif] Exclusive Facebook blind spot allows timber wildlife trafficking to Asia to continue [gif] Enzyme-based plastics recycling more energy efficient, analysis suggests [gif] Smart technologies and data posited to future-proof energy supply Recent articles [gif] Freeze-dried mouse sperm sent via postcard [gif] Bamboo inspires new approach for rechargeable battery boost [gif] Comment Goodbye: A great run with open data [gif] Government urged to block Cambo oil field ahead of COP26 [gif] Apple to search iCloud uploads for child sexual abuse content with 'NeuralHash' [gif] Universities warned to be vigilant against cyber-security threats from essay mills [gif] 'Carbon debt system' proposed for polluting companies to encourage eco commitment [gif] Career-changing decisions empowered by AI tool [gif] Summer STEM Challenge: Vacuum Pile-Driver [gif] Comment How can we stay secure in an extended-reality world? [gif] Exclusive Climate injustice: how a biocarbon fund failed Uganda's tree planters Follow E&T magazine * Facebook icon * Twitter icon * YouTube icon * Instagram icon * Flickr icon * Wordpress icon * RSS icon * Engineering Communities iconEngineering Communities Back to top Magazine Latest issue Tablet editions Webinars White papers About E&T About us Contact us Advertise with us Sign up for news e-mails Related sites E&T Jobs E&T Reference [facebook] [instagram] [linkedin] [pinterest] [twitter] [INS: [youtube] :INS] Contact us Our Offices UK, Head office * T: +44 (0)1438 313 311 * E: postmaster@theiet.org China * T: +86 10 6566 4687 * E: china@theiet.org India * T: +91 80 4089 2222 * E: india@theiet.in Hong Kong * T: +852 2521 2140 * E: adminap@theiet.org USA * T: +1 (732) 321 5575 * E: ietusa@theiet.org Our Venues IET London: Savoy Place * T: +44 (0)20 7344 8460 * E: faradaycentre@ietvenues.co.uk IET Birmingham: Austin Court * T: +44 (0)121 600 7500 * E: austincourt@ietvenues.co.uk About the IET * Our history * Vision and Strategy * Governance * AGMs * Royal Charter and Bye-laws * Our offices * Our venues * Working for the IET * Advertising and sponsorship Membership & Registration * Join the IET * Benefits of membership * Manage your membership * Member News * Communities * Professional ethics * IET Library and Archives * E&T magazine Career & Learning * Professional registration * Professional development * Career Manager * Accreditation * Courses and training * IET Academy * Support for employers * Routes to engineering * STEM education * Career support * Engineering jobs Intelligence & Research * Publishing with IET Journals * Publishing with IET Books * Inspec * Subscribe to our content * Bookshop * Wiring Regulations * Standards * IET.tv - video content and production * IET Library and Archives Events * Events * Search all events Get Involved * Volunteering for the IET * Young Professionals * Partnerships * Collaboration * Support future generations * Discussion forum Impact & Society * Sectors * Government policy and submissions * Thought leadership * Our impact in Scotland * Our impact in Northern Ireland * Factfiles * Awards and scholarships Media Hub * Campaigns * Press releases * Media support for members * IET social media * Help * Cookies * Privacy Statement * Accessibility * Modern Slavery Act Statement * Legal notices (c) 2021 The Institution of Engineering and Technology. The Institution of Engineering and Technology is registered as a Charity in England & Wales (no 211014) and Scotland (no SC038698). [75497]