Pale Blue Dot Energy welcomes the news that the scotch whisky industry has reinforced its targets on environmental performance, particularly the targets to reduce energy use from fossil fuels by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.
Two weeks ago, the Scottish Government published “A Plan for Scotland” which states on page 29 that a Climate Change Plan and an accompanying Energy Strategy will be published this winter, outlining the intention to also reduce Scottish emissions by 80% by 2050.
This should mean no more direct combustion of fossil fuels within two generations and thus major change for both the energy markets and large energy users such as distillers of whom the majority are currently dependent on oil or gas for their fuel.
The 80% carbon reduction commitments presents a huge challenge to industries heavily dependent on oil and gas for fuel. Recognising the importance of the scotch whisky sector to Scotland and the significant fossil fuel based energy consumption of the distillation process itself, Pale Blue Dot Energy has developed GreenStills, a technology to reduce energy use in distillation by more than a third. The GreenStills technology contributes to the solution by enabling a step change in the efficiency of the pot still distillation process.
At the same time it enables a move away from steam and effective integration and storage of a range of renewable energy for heating thus creating a triple benefit of reduced energy usage/cost, improved security of energy supply and decarbonisation through the use of renewables.
GreenStills is a patented technology under development by Pale Blue Dot Energy.