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Orkney could become ‘world’s first’ hydrogen-fuelled distillery

Scotland’s Orkney Distillery could become the first site to use hydrogen power for gin production as part of a government-funded project.

The Orkney Distillery opened last year on the Scottish island of Orkney

The Hyspirits project aims to “investigate the feasibility of hydrogen as a fuel to decarbonise the distilling process”. Hydrogen has been identified as an alternative fuel for energy-intensive industrial processes, such as distilleries.

The Orkney Distillery, which opened last year on Kirkwall’s historic harbour front, was selected as the site for hydrogen fuel integration.

Hyspirits has been awarded £148,600 (US$179,675) of funding from the UK’s Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The study brings together Orkney Distilling, Edinburgh Napier University and the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), which will lead the project. The university will assess the Kirkwall site and develop the design and specification of the hydrogen system.

If the project is successful, emissions from the distillery would be reduced by around 86 tonnes of CO2 every year – the equivalent annual emissions from 10 homes or 18 cars.

The study could also offer a “substantial decarbonisation opportunity for the wider industry”.

It is hoped that the findings from the Hyspirits project can be replicated across the sector and that the “technology will be designed to be retrofitted into existing infrastructure”.

Stephen Kemp, director of Orkney Distilling, said: “As we look to the future development of The Orkney Distillery and our product offering, it is essential that we innovate in order to drive a low-carbon, energy-efficient spirit production process.

“This collaboration with EMEC and Edinburgh Napier University is incredibly exciting, and a world first for the industry.”

Funding for the HySpirits project was awarded after it was successful in the BEIS’s Industrial Fuel Switching competition earlier this year. It seeks to provide early investment in fuel-switching processes and technologies.

The funding was also part of a £390 million (US$471m) government investment announced last Thursday (29 August) to help the industry cut emissions.

Ian Duncan, climate change minister, added: “Using the power of hydrogen could help cut emissions, create jobs and make industrial processes cleaner and greener, benefitting the whole economy as we work towards net zero by 2050.

“This innovative project from HySprits/EMEC will help our efforts to roll out hydrogen at scale by the 2030s – a crucial step towards the end of the UK’s contribution to global warming.”

Orkney Distilling produces the Kirkjuvagr gin brand, which launched in August 2016. In June this year, Orkney Distilling launched an Old Tom-style pink gin.

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