EDF Receives Green Light For Solar Farm At The Macallan Estate
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on Solar Power Portal.
These three paragraphs outline the story.
Energy company EDF Renewables UK has been granted the green light to develop a 4MW solar farm to decarbonise the production of The Macallan’s single malt Scotch whisky in Craigellachie.
Located at The Macallan Estate in north-east Scotland, the distillery company alongside EDF Renewables will integrate ground-mounted solar panels to deliver up to 50% of the daytime electricity needs at peak output. In doing so, this could provide 30% of the site’s yearly electricity demand.
A key aspect of the project is biodiversity and local community engagement – aspects of solar projects which regular readers of Solar Power Portal will be aware of across a number of different schemes.
This Google Map shows the Macallan Estate about sixty miles to the North-West of Aberdeen.
This page on the Macallan Estate web site gives details about the company, its whisky and principles.
As the estate is 485 acres, they’ve certainly got enough space for 4 MW of solar panels.
I do wonder though if low- or zero-carbon whisky and other spirits is the way the industry is going.
Searching the Internet for “Zero-Carbon Whisky” gives some worthwhile results.
- NC’NEAN is organic Scotch Whisky distilled in a net-zero distillery in the Western Highlands of Scotland.
- Cooper King is the is the very first whisky in England to be distilled using net zero energy.
- Diageo opens its first carbon neutral whiskey distillery in North America
- The Scotch Whisky Association will achieve Net Zero emissions by 2040 in our own operations.
- Scotch Whisky Heads To Zero Emissions With Wind & …
Scotland seems to be moving to make whisky at least carbon neutral.
There are also two hydrogen projects aimed at distilleries under development.
This is a paragraph from the home page of the Cromarty Hydrogen Project.
The Cromarty Hydrogen Project is the first project in the Scotland Hydrogen Programme. It originated from a collaboration between the Port of Cromarty Firth, ScottishPower, Glenmorangie, Whyte & Mackay and Diageo and the project originator, Storegga during the feasibility stage. This project is looking to develop a green hydrogen production hub in the Cromarty Firth region and revolves around the local distilleries forming the baseload demand for early phases of the project, which would enable them to decarbonise in line with their own ambitions and sector targets.
This project appears to be backed by three companies, who produce Scotch whisky.
In Major Boost For Hydrogen As UK Unlocks New Investment And Jobs, I said this.
I have just looked at the InchDairnie Distillery web site.
- It looks a high class product.
- The company is best described as Scotch Whisky Reimagined.
- The company is based in Fife near Glenrothes.
- They appear to have just launched a rye whisky, which they are aiming to export to Canada, Japan and Taiwan.
The press release says this about InchDairnie.
InchDairnie Distillery in Scotland, who plan to run a boiler on 100% hydrogen for use in their distilling process.
That would fit nicely with the image of the distillery.
I suspect the hydrogen will be brought in by truck.
Would a zero-carbon whisky be a hit at Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil parties?
Diageo
This page on the Diageo web site is entitled Accelerating To A Low Carbon World.
It would probably help if more companies thought like Diageo.
Conclusion
Macallan are certainly going in the right direction.
The Anonymous Widower 
As a highly uninformed bystander I do note that this site is next to a river…. I wonder what, if any, study has been made to use a ‘water mill’ to achieve the ‘zero-carbon’ target. Looking at your map a channel could be cut where the river bows, right next to the estate, and with the right complimentary design, it would not have the same visual impact on such beautiful landscape as a ‘solar farm’…
Comment by PJS | January 17, 2024 |