Glenmorangie gets green spirited with 'virtual gas pipeline' first

Whisky producer Glenmorangie is to cut carbon emissions at its distillery by almost a third as it ramps up its green credentials.

The firm has been creating whisky in the Highlands since 1843. Picture: Carol Sachs

The firm, which has been creating whisky in the Highlands since 1843, said it would be one of the first businesses in Scotland to use a “virtual gas pipeline” to supply its facility.

North Sea gas will be taken from the national gas transmission system, as it runs through Aberdeenshire. It will then be sent by tanker to a newly constructed storage facility near the distillery, before flowing into the boiler house to provide the power needed for distillation. The move marks a switch from heavy fuel oil.

In 2017, Glenmorangie commissioned a state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion plant to purify 95 per cent of the water it releases into the nearby Dornoch Firth. One of the plant's by-products is biogas, which has helped reduce the whisky firm's fossil fuel use by 15 per cent.

The firm has also led a project to restore extinct oyster reefs in the Firth. Reefs will improve biodiversity and filter the remaining organic matter from water released by the distillery.

Thomas Moradpour, president and chief executive, said: “We are committed to preserving and improving the world around us, as we meet rising demand for our exceptional single malt whisky around the globe. Cutting our CO2 emissions by 30 per cent is another important step in our quest to become a fully sustainable business.”