Scotch whisky distillery Jackson Distillers has joined the Scottish Green Investment Portfolio to push ahead with the construction of a £50m carbon-neutral grain whisky distillery.

Based in St Boswells, in the Scottish Borders, the new distillery will source grain from local farms to provide the Scotch whisky industry with high-quality spirit for blending, as well as producing neutral spirit for gin production.

It will also use around a quarter of the water normally required for production, and waste product will be converted into energy through the natural ‘anaerobic digestion’ process.

Meanwhile, the development will create 20 permanent ‘high-value’ jobs and more than 200 jobs on-site through the construction phase, developing skills and training opportunities locally and generating significant economic value for the Scottish Borders.

The project has also been supported by South of Scotland Enterprise as a transformational project for the Scottish Borders and South of Scotland.

Planning permission for the construction of the £50m distillery was granted in 2021, and fundraising for the project is due to complete by the end of 2022.

“This ample portfolio of assets has been significantly enhanced by the addition of Jackson Distillers’ innovative new grain whisky distillery,” Mark Hallan, Director of Global Investment at Scottish Development International, said.

“This will also be the first of our Green Investment Portfolio projects to be based in the Scottish Borders, demonstrating that private capital investment opportunities exist the length and breadth of Scotland.”

Trevor Jackson, Founder & CEO of Jackson Distillers, added: “We are delighted to have been selected to join Scotland’s Green investment portfolio, an elite group of innovative businesses who share our ambition of a low carbon future.

“With planning permission now in place, Jackson Distillers have created a highly competitive ‘market ready’ investment which will provide a crucial ongoing contribution to the local rural economy.”