Whisky giant hails 'world-first' milestone for green distillation at historic Scottish site

The “milestone moment” was celebrated at a ceremony at the Glen Garioch Distillery in Oldmeldrum, near Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, with representatives from the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero also present. It saw the official casking of the world’s first direct-fired, hydrogen-distilled spirit for whisky production.

Following the use of 100 per cent hydrogen to directly heat the stills at Yamazaki Distillery’s pilot distillery in Japan, a portion of the resulting distilled spirit has been transferred to Glen Garioch to be closely monitored and quality assessed under Scottish maturation conditions. With a sister portion being monitored in Japan, the results are set to be analysed and compared as part of Suntory’s research into the results of hydrogen-fuelled distilling.

As well as achieving net zero emissions by 2040, the drinks firm is said to be “wholly committed to ensuring that any evolution of its production processes maintain the highest level of quality at every stage”.

Glen Garioch Distillery underwent a £6 million renovation project in recent years to reinstate traditional malting floors and install its own direct-fired still. Suntory Global Spirits holds an ambition to maintain direct-fire distilling at the distillery in the future through introducing zero emission fuel sources, such as hydrogen, while maintaining traditional whisky production processes.

In 2021, the WhiskHy project received innovation project funding from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) through the “green distilleries” competition to carry out feasibility studies for green hydrogen-based decarbonisation technology at Suntory Global Spirits-owned distilleries, as part of the UK government’s net zero innovation portfolio (NZIP). The milestone at the Yamazaki Distillery’s pilot distillery proved that direct-fired distillation using 100 per cent hydrogen is feasible, Suntory said.

Alistair Longwell, head of distilling and environment at Suntory Global Spirits, said: “As a company, we are committed to taking bold steps to advance green solutions and decarbonise our distilleries, while always ensuring that the quality of our spirits reach the highest possible standard. It is through unique collaborative projects such as WhiskHy that we are making significant steps towards our ambition of net-zero emissions across our entire value chain by 2040 while closely monitoring how our spirits age and mature under more sustainable distilling processes.”

The drinks group and its project partner Supercritical Solutions reinforced their commitment to decarbonisation with green hydrogen with the signing of a memorandum of understanding at Glen Garioch. Tapping into Supercritical’s novel electrolysis technology for low-cost green hydrogen production, the partnership will focus on commercialising hydrogen direct firing across Suntory Global Spirit’s Scotch portfolio.

Earlier this week, representatives from Suntory Global Spirits, Supercritical Solutions, and the DESNZ gathered at the distillery to witness the ceremonial cask filling of the hydrogen-distilled spirit. The event also included presentations on the project’s progress and a tour of the restored distillery.

Matt Bird, chief executive of Supercritical Solutions, said: “At Supercritical, we’re proving that even centuries-old traditions like whisky distilling can embrace cutting-edge, zero-emission hydrogen technology.

“Our electrolyser’s unique ability to deliver high-purity hydrogen at 220 bar is rewriting the rules of sustainability - preserving the art of whisky-making while powering a net zero future. This partnership is a toast to innovation and the possibilities of a net-zero world.”

Climate minister Kerry McCarthy MP added: “It’s innovations like these that will secure the future of our unique British industrial heritage - putting Scottish distilleries on the map with greener production and cutting-edge technology. This celebration marks a significant step towards decarbonising one of the UK’s largest and most important export sectors and highlights what’s possible when we invest in the clean energy transition.”

Suntory Global Spirits, which is a subsidiary of Japan’s Suntory Holdings, employs some 6,000 staff in nearly 30 countries. Its brands also include Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark, Hibiki, El Tesoro tequila and Sipsmith gin.

In August, Chivas Brothers, the whisky giant whose brands include The Glenlivet and Chivas Regal, insisted it was “leading from the front” when it comes to industry sustainability even as it ramped up capacity. The group, which forms the Scottish part of the Pernod Ricard global spirits empire, said that as part of its commitment to “positively shape the future of Scotch”, it continued to take action across its business, investing in initiatives that reduce its carbon footprint and enable it to meet its sustainability targets.

Chivas Brothers chairman and chief executive, Jean-Etienne Gourgues said: “Our [full-year] performance demonstrates resilience and stability, underpinned by our impactful premiumisation strategy which delivered an upward trajectory in the second half. We’re lapping two historic years, a complex geopolitical landscape and ever-changing consumer trends, yet still delivering on our strategic vision, owing to our broad and balanced footprint.

“We are also leading from the front when it comes to sustainability in our industry, making significant investments that ensure we can meet our ambitious environmental targets while increasing capacity to meet the global demand for Scotch whisky.”

Last year, Chivas said it was making its carbon cutting technology “open source” to help the wider industry achieve its net zero goals. It made the move after the application of the heat recovery tech at its Glentauchers site on Speyside showed significant benefit in carbon emissions reduction. The sharing of its design process and implementation insights is intended to “put collaboration ahead of competition” on the road to net zero, the firm added.

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