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Celtic Renewables Ltd. is the first company to produce biofuel from the by-products of the scotch whisky industry.

It has been estimated that annually the whisky industry produces 1.6 billion litres of pot ale and 500,000 tonnes of draff which has historically been used for animal feed. Celtic Renewables has utilised these resources and adapted the traditional Weizmann Fermentation process (also known as ABE fermentation) to produce Biobutanol.

Several supply partnerships have been established with local distilleries along with a relationship with Europe’s biotech flagship Bio Base Europe where it has piloted its biofuel production process with a £1 million grant from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). The company also carries the support of the Scotch Whisky Association and the Scottish Government, where this process is well aligned to both national biofuel and carbon reduction targets.

The company was granted planning permission for its first scale biorefinery at Caledon Green, in Grangemouth, Scotland in 2020 and completed building in November 2021, there are now plans for a second in Speyside.

Inception

Celtic Renewables was created by Professor Martin Tangney OBE, who is also the Director of the Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University. It was launched on 25 January 2012, at the University’s Sighthill Campus by Fergus Ewing, Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism and Lena Wilson, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise. Dr. Doug Ward, founder of Argent Energy, was appointed as its inaugural Chairman. Mark Simmers, fellow from The Saltire Foundation, is CEO.

References

1. BBC News Edinburgh start-up to make whisky biofuel
2. ^ "Scots whisky biofuel team launch start-up - PRESS RELEASE". 25 January 2012. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012.
3. "Resource efficiency in the UK whisky sector" (PDF). Waste & Resources Action Programme. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
4. "Company | Celtic Renewables". www.celtic-renewables.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
5. Trimble, James (11 August 2020). "Grangemouth biofuel plant gets green light after altering design plans". Falkirk Herald. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
6. International, Bioenergy (5 August 2022). "Celtic Renewables reveals growth plans". Bioenergy International. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
7. Saltire Fellow Named CEO of Celtic Renewables

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