Scottish Distillery Turns Food Waste Into Electricity

When we think of food waste, we tend to think of it on a smaller, more personal scale. For example, how much food does a household throw out? However, when we think of it on an industrial scale, we begin to see that there are bigger sources out there that make up the full picture. Diageo, the market leader in Scotch whiskey, creates tens of thousands of tons of waste as a result of the distilling process. Instead of just letting that waste compost, though, it’s decided to use it to help the U.K. meet its 2020 energy goals.

A Whiskey-Powered Grid

According to The Guardian, Diageo has invested more than 65 million pounds constructing a facility to take the “spent wash” from its distilleries, and turn it into green energy. The wash, which is made up of wheat, barley, yeast, and water, is separated into liquids and solids. The liquids will be used to create biogas, and the solids will be dried into a biomass fuel. Together, the used wash will provide 98 percent of the thermal steam, and 80 percent of the power used at the distillery.

That may not sound like much, but the facility would generate enough energy to power 12,000 homes. And that’s just from one distillery. Now imagine if there were facilities like this for every distillery out there, and how much energy that would save on the whole. When it comes to green energy, one man’s waste can be the solution that helps power the future.