Most distilleries in the highlands of Scotland use natural gas to fire their boilers but whisky makers on the Hebrides Islands use fuel oil and one of them is taking steps to become carbon neutral. The malt whisky maker Bruichladdich, is one of nine distilleries on the Isle of Islay that burn 15 million litres of oil a year. But this craft distiller is leading a revolution to use green hydrogen, wind power and possibly tidal power to be 100% green by 2025.
Company chief Douglas Taylor says the strategy is to “think big, start small, but start today.” If they’re successful they could lead the whole island to reach net-zero. Whisky is the UK’s most valuable export, worth nearly £5 billion, and it supports 10,000 jobs in Scotland.