Chivas Brothers are sharing details of carbon reducing technology with the wider whisky industry, with the belief that doing so could help reduce carbon emissions in the sector by half.
Advanced heat recovery technology has been introduced at Glentauchers and has reduced emissions by half; energy consumption has been reduced by 48% while the site’s carbon emissions fell by an impressive 53%.
The technologies are specifically designed to capture heat produced in the earlier stages of the distillation process that would otherwise go to waste. This heat is then recycled during later phases of the process.
Following the success of the trial at Glentauchers, Chivas are looking to introduce the technology at all of their viable distilleries, a move that is forecast to reduce the company’s total energy consumption and carbon emissions by a third and will doubtlessly help them achieve their ambitious target of achieving carbon neutral distilling by 2026.
Chivas, whose portfolio also includes the Glenlivet and Aberlour distilleries, have published the findings from their study, highlighting the benefits and energy savings. The publication also includes design details for the technology used.
Additionally, distillers have been invited to participate in a series of open-house events at Glentauchers to see the technology firsthand. While the technology used isn’t new, there have been barriers to its successful implementation in the distilling process. It’s believed allowing distillers to witness the technology in action will demystify existing hurdles.
While it has been acknowledged that the technology won’t be suitable for every distillery, its successful application through the industry has the potential to save enough energy to power hundreds of thousands of homes annually. One estimate claims enough energy would be saved to power every home in Edinburgh and Aberdeen (over 605,000).
Scottish Government Energy Minister Gillian Martin has praised Chivas’ research and willingness to share the data. She noted how these developments will be a significant step towards achieving Scotland’s climate targets and could ultimately have a positive impact on the wider Scottish economy.
Jean-Etienne Gourgues, chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, hopes that Chivas’ transparency will lead to further collaboration within the industry. He says that “there is no one road to net zero” and much more can be done in many areas, ranging from production, packaging, and sustainable agricultural practices.
Gourgues stresses that “protecting the planet is a precondition for the future of [the whisky] industry” and hopes putting “collaboration ahead of competition” will lead to further innovation, which in turn will achieve the “shared goal” of an increasingly sustainable Scotch whisky industry.
Environmental concerns are at the heart of many distilleries’ business models and production practices. One of the most impressive names in this area are relative newcomers Nc’nean, who are officially verified as net zero carbon emissions from their own distillery operations. The distillery is entirely powered by renewable sources and they work closely with environmental organisations to help offset their minimal carbon emissions.
Chivas are also not the only large whisky company to make impressive developments towards achieving net zero. For example, in 2021, Glenfiddich announced that they were introducing a fella of delivery vehicles powered by biogas created by waste from the production process.
Nevertheless, whisky production remains a carbon intensive process. The technology utilised at Glentauchers is a great step in reducing the whisky industry’s impact on the planet and one can hope as many distillers as possible take advantage of Chivas’ findings.