What is said to be the world’s first spirit produced using 100% hydrogen-fuelled direct-fired stills has been laid down at the Glen Garioch Distillery in Aberdeenshire.
The vast majority of whisky is produced using steam to heat the stills but – as the name suggests – direct firing involves the use of a naked flame, much like boiling a pot on a gas hob.
The milestone moment in sustainable whisky production was marked by an official casking ceremony attended by representatives from Suntory Global Spirits, which owns Glen Garioch; the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ); and Supercritical Solutions, a producer of low-cost green hydrogen.
The spirit was distilled at Suntory’s Yamazaki Distillery in Japan before a portion was transferred to Glen Garioch to be closely monitored and assessed for quality under Scottish maturation conditions. A sister portion is being observed in Japan, with the results to be analysed and compared as part of Suntory’s research into hydrogen-fuelled distilling.
As well as achieving net zero emissions by 2040, the business is committed to ensuring that any changes in production processes don’t have a negative impact on quality.
The spirit is the product of the WhiskHy project, which received funding from DESNZ through its ‘Green Distilleries’ initiative to carry out feasibility studies for green hydrogen-based decarbonisation technology.
A new agreement was also reached at the casking ceremony to scale up the use of Supercritical’s technology across Suntory’s Scottish distilleries in a bid to make hydrogen-fuelled whisky production commercially viable.
The Glen Garioch Distillery has completed a £6m renovation project to reinstate traditional malting floors and install its own direct-fired still. Suntory aims to continue direct-fire distilling at Glen Garioch by introducing zero emission fuel sources, like hydrogen, while maintaining traditional whisky production processes.
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.”
