Distillery installs wood chip boiler

11-Jan-2018 - Last updated on 11-Jan-2018 at 16:38 GMT

The Ncn’ean distillery plans to use locally-sourced wood in its new boiler

The newly opened Ncn’ean distillery on the Morvern peninsula in Scotland has committed itself to environmentally friendly production by choosing locally-sourced wood as the primary power source for its new 850kW woodchip boiler system.

The distillery first became operational in March 2017 and the first bottled whisky will be available in 2020, although a few select barrels are already available.

From its remote base on the Drimnin Estate, the organic distillery plans to produce whisky in a way that works in harmony with nature. It uses its own spring water, while its barley is organic, and the spent grain then feeds the farm cattle.

Minimising both costs and pollution

Ncn’ean decided that a woodchip boiler would be ideal for its needs, offering a low carbon footprint and low running costs. And in a part of Scotland with plenty of commercial forestry, fuel can be easily transported, minimising both costs and pollution. Re:heat, a biomass energy specialist, was appointed to manage the project.

As well as providing process steam, the boiler also heats the distillery office, visitor centre and toilet block, and one of the two whisky maturation sheds.

It will save over 230t of carbon dioxide each year compared with running its oil equivalent. It will require around 300t of woodchip annually, all of which is sourced from low-grade timber from the surrounding estate.