Whisky by-products to fuel Highland power plant

AN ELECTRICITY plant that uses by-products from the Scotch whisky industry is set to be created in the Highlands.

A consortium of whisky distillers including Famous Grouse maker Edrington and spirits giant Diageo has lodged an application with Moray Council to build a £24 million plant that would power 9,000 homes.

The project, which will use draff and pot ale as a fuel, will be carried out in conjunction with Helius Energy.

The Combination of Rothes Distillers (Cord) is to build the plant within the site of the existing Cord-owned dark grains processing facility at Rothes, which currently converts distillery co-products into animal feed.

It will be capable of generating 7.2 megawatts of electricity, most for export to the national grid.

The plant, based on a proven design used for more than 80 similar biomass power plants around the world, will also convert the pot ale into organic fertiliser for use by local farmers on crops such as the barley used in the malting process.

Frank Burns, general manager of Cord, said the project "will improve the long-term sustainability of Cord and help to meet local and national targets for renewable energy."