Whiskey has fueled many things over the years—rebellion, imagination, and some epic poetry, and now, it will potentially power the huge tractor-trailer trucks that deliver the Glenfiddich Scotch!
Scottish whiskey maker Glenfiddich is converting its delivery trucks to run on biogas as a part of the brand’s ‘closed loop’ sustainable initiative. The low-carbon, low-particulate biofuel is made from the waste of its whiskey distilling process. The parent company of Glenfiddich, William Grant & Sons, has developed a technology that converts the production waste from the whiskey distilleries into an Ultra-Low Carbon Fuel (ULCF), reducing emissions down to a minimum. According to Glenfiddich, the biogas helps cut CO2 emissions by over 95%, compared to the standard diesel-powered trucks. It also lessens harmful particulates and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 99%.
“It has taken more than a decade for Glenfiddich to become the first distillery to process 100% of its waste residues on its site, then to be the first to process those residues into biogas fuels to power its trucks, and finally to be the first to install a biogas truck fueling station,” said Kirsty Dagnan, from the distillery’s Dufftown facility.
In addition to producing eco-friendly petrol, the distillery has also gone a step ahead and is using the leftover solids from the fuel processing as fertilizer to grow the main ingredient in whiskey – barley, which not only enriches the soil but also reduces CO2 emission to the atmosphere. Williams Grant & Sons also look forward to expanding and scaling up the production of the biogas, where it can be used to power trucks of other companies as well.
As the concerns over global warming and environmental crises surge, more companies have started looking into sustainable alternatives. This fleet of low-carbon trucks powered by biomethane will cut the annual greenhouse gas emissions by up to 99%, which is equivalent to planting 4,000 trees every year. And every “Fueled by Glenfiddich” truck on the highway will displace up to 250 tons of CO2 every year.