Celtic Renewables, an Edinburgh-based biofuel company, has signed a 1.2 million pound partnership with a European biotechnology pilot facility to turn whisky by-products into biofuel.
Celtic Renewables has already proved the concept of producing biobutanol from draff – the sugar-rich kernels of barley that are soaked in water to facilitate the fermentation process necessary for whisky production – and pot ale, the yeasty liquid that is heated during distillation.
The new partnership with Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP) in Ghent, Belgium will seek to replicate this on an industrial scale. BBEPP was established by the EU to develop sustainable biobased processes and cut reliance on non-replacement fossil fuels.
If successful, the whisky-derived biofuel could be used as a direct replacement for petrol and diesel without the need to modify car engines.
Photo credit: Jens Luedicke/Creative Commons
