New plant to make whisky-based fuel

A company has got the go-ahead to build a new plant at Scotland’s oil port of Grangemouth – to make a petrol substitute from whisky residue.

Celtic Renewables Ltd announced it had secured planning permission from Falkirk Council to build a commercial demonstrator plant, which will produce more than half a million litres of the biofuel each year.

The two-acre site will produce Biobutanol, a “new, advanced and sustainable” biofuel made using whisky residue that is a direct replacement for petrol and diesel.

Working closely with Tullibardine Distillery in Perthshire, the firm plans to use the production leftovers of the malt whisky industry in Scotland, which produces almost 750,000 tonnes of draff and two billion litres of “pot ale”, used as animal feed.

Building of the commercial demonstrator plant is due to begin early next year.

Used in a car for the first time in July, the groundbreaking fuel could “revolutionise sustainable transport”, according to the firm.

Company founder and president, Professor Martin Tangney, said: “This is a very exciting time for biotechnology in Scotland.

“Our plant, which will use entirely sustainable raw materials to make highvalue low-carbon products, will be the first of its kind in the world.”

Mark Simmers, CEO of Celtic Renewables added: “This demonstration plant will enable the rollout of the technology at full industrial scale across Scotland and internationally.

“Grangemouth is the perfect location for the plant, where we can benefit from the synergies of locating within the national petrochemical hub and work with a range of complementary partners with the full support of local and national government agencies.”

The new plant is set to create 25 jobs.

The biofuel plant will be at Grangemouth.