Whisky power

The Scottish whisky industry has established a worldwide reputation. That people who fancy a dram around the world are just as likely to ask for a Scotch as a whisky shows just how dominant it has become.

But it is a little-known fact that just 10 per cent of distilleries’ output actually ends up in bottles, with the vast majority known as draff and pot ale.

The byproducts can be used to feed animals, but a technique developed by a Napier University spinoff company, Celtic Renewables, to convert them into a sustainable form of fuel for vehicles has now been picked up by an energy firm in India.

In addition to cutting carbon emissions, it is hoped the fuel will help clean up the River Ganges as some local distillers simply dump the draff and pot ale into its waters.

Almost all forms of ‘waste’ actually have a value and finding out how to make money from them is a surefire way to clean up – in more ways than one.

Scotland would do well to realise the economic opportunities – on a global scale – afforded by such new ‘eco-friendly’ technologies.