Whisky-to-fuel scientist leads the way (Comment)

London - Professor Martin Tangney has been named Innovator of the Year by the Institute of Chemical Engineering in recognition of his work in converting whisky waste into biofuel.

The founder and president of Edinburgh-based company Celtic Renewables was recognised for his work in developing the technology to produce biobutanol from the by-products of whisky production.

In September, Celtic Renewables signed a memorandum of understanding with Tullibardine Distillery in Perthshire, which became the first whisky distillery in the world to have its by-products converted into advanced biofuel, capable of directly powering vehicles which run on petrol and diesel.

The company is currently undertaking commercial trials on the process, in partnership with Tullibardine, at the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) at Redcar, in Teesside, with funding from Zero Waste Scotland.

“This shows that companies and scientists in Scotland are still leading the way with innovation, particularly in the renewable energy sector,” claimed Tangney.