Wednesday, October 8, 2025
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
Environmental Magazine
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water
No Result
View All Result
Environmental Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Partnership offers route to a greener dram

April 12, 2022
in News
A A

An innovative new project is ‘distilling’ residues from Scotland’s famous whisky industry into sustainable, green energy.

The successful trial involving Scottish Water, SEPA and major distiller Chivas Brothers saw distillery residue brought into Aberdeen’s Nigg Waste Water Treatment Works for the first time, with promising results.

A process called ‘co-digestion’, means that the residues from distilleries and breweries in the area can be added to sewage sludge processed at Nigg, as part of a system which produces biogas – an alternative fuel used to heat the site’s boilers.

The facility already has a process to turn sludge produced during waste water treatment into biogas – this is then used on site instead of oil or diesel. Since October 2021 the sludge treatment centre has trialled co-digestion – in other words, processing residues brought in from Chivas Brothers’ distilleries and breweries alongside the sludge – and this has noticeably increased the amount of biogas being produced.

Scottish Water’s Chief Scientist Elise Cartmell said: “The team at Chivas Brothers approached us because the various residues created as part of the distillery process are often rich in energy, and they were keen to find alternative outlets to capture and use it. Fortunately this aligned very well with Scottish Water’s existing ambitions to investigate co-digestion, extending work we had already begun with SEPA, so we decided this would be the perfect opportunity to try out this process.

“It’s turning out to be a win-win for both parties: the distilleries are provided with an outlet for treatment which helps this key regional industry become more sustainable, while we at Scottish Water benefit from a boost in production of green energy at our site, which reduces our reliance on fossil fuels and helps our journey to net zero.”

With the addition of the distillery and brewery residues, the plant saw a saving of 58 tonnes of carbon over the 12-week trial period, which equates to 250 tonnes per year – the same as 250 return flights from Paris to New York.

Chief Scientist Elise Cartmell said: “We’re very pleased with the findings which show that the trial boosted biogas production and significantly reduced the site’s need for oil to power its on-site boiler. Just as importantly, there was no adverse impact on the operation of the site or on the quality of the biosolids that are also produced for recycling to land.

“We believe there is excellent potential for this approach to be used at Nigg in the future and for it to be rolled out to other sites across Scottish Water.”

The trial was made possible by close collaboration between the industry, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Water. It was led by the publicly owned water company’s commercial subsidiary, Scottish Water Horizons.

One-of-Niggs-CHP-Engines

Through collaborative working and close monitoring throughout the Nigg trial, the teams involved have laid the groundwork to explore further opportunities in the future to support businesses and green energy production across the country through co-digestion.

Chivas Brothers’ Environmental Sustainability Manager Ronald Daalmans said:

“The trial with Scottish Water has shown that residues from our effluent treatment process still have an energy value that can contribute to a more circular and sustainable economy and provide an alternative outlet for distillery residues when other routes are full.

“We hope the trial will open up further opportunities for collaboration between the Scotch Whisky sector and utility operators.”

David Harley, SEPA’s Interim Chief Officer, Circular Economy, stated:

“Against a backdrop of climate and nature emergencies, there’s a real environmental imperative for us all to act. But more than that, innovative partnerships like this between SEPA, Chivas Brothers and Scottish Water are real economic and social opportunities.

“The Nigg trial is an excellent example of that collaboration in action, driving sustainability in Scotland’s food and drink sector, and making a tangible contribution to a circular economy and a Net Zero society.”

ShareTweetSharePinSendShare

Related Articles

News

Solar energy is now the world’s cheapest source of power, says new study

October 8, 2025
News

3d-printed heat exchanger boosts hydrogen aviation efforts

October 6, 2025
News

New report warns skills shortages threaten circular economy progress

October 3, 2025
News

Observers respond to Labour’s fracking announcement

October 1, 2025
News

Over half of all brownfield sites could be built on rapidly

September 30, 2025
News

Friendly soil fungus could replace chemical sprays in battle against crop diseases

September 29, 2025

Recommended

A Transco Pipeline Plan to Boost Gas in Five States Would Sharply Increase Air Pollution in N.C. Towns

May 28, 2025

Trump Hails $90 Billion in Corporate Investment to Make Pennsylvania an AI Hub, Fueled by Natural Gas

July 15, 2025

Don't miss it

Air

First UK-accredited carbon accountants training courses set to launch

October 8, 2025
Activism

Arizona Rural Grassroots Organizers Take on Industrial Developers, Aided by Urban Allies

October 8, 2025
Energy

Global Renewable Power Capacity Expected to More than Double by 2030

October 7, 2025
Water

Yorkshire Water models sewer data availability

October 7, 2025
Fossil Fuels

EPA Drops Planned Delay in Compliance With Fenceline Monitoring at Coke Plants

October 7, 2025
Fossil Fuels

Scientists Find Evidence that a Pennsylvania Town’s Water Was Contaminated by Fracking

October 7, 2025
Environmental Magazine

Environmental Magazine, Latest News, Opinions, Analysis Environmental Magazine. Follow us for more news about Enviroment and climate change from all around the world.

Learn more

Sections

  • Activism
  • Air
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Fossil Fuels
  • News
  • Uncategorized
  • Water

Topics

Activism Air Climate Change Energy Fossil Fuels News Uncategorized Water

Recent News

First UK-accredited carbon accountants training courses set to launch

October 8, 2025

Solar energy is now the world’s cheapest source of power, says new study

October 8, 2025

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Climate Change
  • Energy
  • Recycling
  • Air
  • Fossil Fuels
  • Water

© 2023 Environmental Magazine. All rights reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.