Glenmorangie to switch to natural gas

Whisky producer Glenmorangie will now use natural gas to power its highland distillery in the hopes of eventually becoming a “fully sustainable” business.

Thomas Moradpour, president and CEO of Glenmorangie, said the business is hoping to cut its CO2 emissions by 30% is “another important step in our quest to become a fully sustainable business.”

“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.

The distiller has also been involved with wildlife preservation in the area. Glenmorangie announced plans to reintroduce 20,000 oysters to the Dornoch Firth for the first time in a century last October; the first conservation attempt of its kind in Europe.

Glenmorangie’s gas, which originates from the North Sea, will be taken from the national gas transmission network at a facility in Fordoun, Aberdeenshire.

There, it is transferred into tankers under high pressure, and taken to another facility which has been constructed a few hundred metres from the Glenmorangie Distillery.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) set out a new Environmental Strategy in 2009, hoping to increase the use of greener fuels by 20% across the entire sector.

According to the trade body, as of last year the industry sources over a fifth (21%) of primary energy use from environmentally sustainable sources, up from just 3% at the end of 2008.