Producing car 'gasoline' from distillers

A winery and a Scottish university collaborate to turn pulp and other waste into the production of whiskey into biofuel.

The Tullibardine winery in Perthshire, Scotland has just signed a memorandum of understanding for a joint venture with Celtic Renewables, a company of Napier University in Edinburgh, to produce biofuels, the BBC reported. They will feed the bacteria 'eat' waste products in the production of whiskey to produce butanol - a compound that replaces gasoline in the engines of vehicles.

The management of the two companies affirmed that their joint venture will be the first in the world to produce biofuel for cars from the waste of alcohol production.

View inside a whiskey factory in Scotland.

More than 90% of the material in the production of whiskey will become waste. They have a high sugar content. Currently, alcohol waste is used to produce fertilizers, animal feed and many other products.

Napier University's Biofuel Research Center has found a bacterium capable of eating waste during the production of whiskey to produce butanol.

Professor Martin Tangney, founder of Celtic Renewables, said: 'Our partnership with the Tullibardine factory is an important step in the development of a business that is capable of combining two industries. Scotland's iconic career - whiskey and renewable energy '.

Mr. Douglas Ross, managing director of Tullibardine, said the factory had to spend up to £ 250,000 to treat waste every year.

'We are excited to become partners of Celtic Renewables in this biofuel production activity. The most obvious benefits will be related to the environment. By cooperating with Celtic Renewables, we have the opportunity to turn waste into a product that is both commercially and socially beneficial , 'he commented.

Celtic Renewables confirms that the company's ultimate goal is to build a butanol processing plant from the waste of alcohol in Scotland. The management board hopes that the factory will generate revenue of £ 60 million per year.