The by-products from a Scottish distillery could soon be turned into fuel for cars.
A deal has been struck between the Tullibardine distillery in Perthshire and Celtic Renewables, a company associated with Napier University in Edinburgh, which could see the waste products from the whisky making process being used to provide fuel for vehicles.
Less than 10% of the yield from a whisky distillery is actually whisky. The remainder comprises of left-overs such as pot ales and draff which are high in sugar.
The plan is to use bacteria to feed on the sugar contained in the left-overs, and this will produce butanol which can be used to fuel cars.
The managing director of Tullibardine, Douglas Ross, said: "We are delighted to be partnering Celtic Renewables in this innovative venture
"It takes a cost to us and turns it into something that has social as well as commercial value."
Celtic Renewables has plans to eventually build a processing plant in Scotland to produce the fuel, in the hope of building an industry which could generate more than £60m annually.
