Old Pulteney's £1.54m "Hot Toddy" Investment Announced in Distillery District Heating Scheme.

05/05/2005

Old Pulteney single malt whisky in Wick is set to become a true winter warmer with the announcement today (date) that it has been selected to pilot the first District Heating Scheme set in a distillery - a pioneering environmental initiative that is to reduce heating and electricity costs in its local community.

As the chosen base for Scotland's first biomass fuelled heat and power scheme, Pulteney Distillery - home to the UK mainland's most northerly single malt whisky - will trial plans to provide environmentally-friendly, low cost heat to almost 600 householders in the area.

The initiative will significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a suggested 5,100 tonnes annually, as well as significantly reducing costs for local residents and businesses to an anticipated £5 cost per week.

Spearheaded by the Highland Council and Integrated Energy Utilities, £3.5 million will be required to introduce the first phase of the project into the Wick area over the coming months. Following a feasibility study, the Energy Saving Trust has confirmed a £1.54million grant, and a further £1.8 million has been secured from the council's Housing and Social Committee.

Old Pulteney's suitability for the initiative is due to its 'worm condenser' technique, which helps to create the whisky's distinctive taste and aroma but is more costly and less efficient than more modern distillery production methods. The condenser will be used to trade waste heat generated during distillation for steam created by the scheme, in order to repeat their production process more economically and also pump heat into surrounding homes.

Graham MacWilliam - Distilleries General Manager for Inver House commented: 'Since 1826 Pulteney distillery has been an important part of the Wick area, and we are delighted to be putting our more traditional Scotch Whisky production techniques to another good use in a project that is a world first by using a distillery.

'We have always believed that the worm-condenser technique gives Old Pulteney its distinctive taste and superb quality. This pioneering environmental project is an added bonus, in that the people of Wick can further benefit from production at the distillery.'

Councillor Graeme Smith, Chairman of the Council's Planning and Economic Development Committee in Caithness, is delighted with the success of the bid.

He said: "This is terrific news for Wick and hopefully it will be the catalyst for the project to go ahead. This is so important to Wick because householders and businesses have to bear such high fuel costs as Wick is not connected to the national gas grid. The scheme has the potential to improve energy efficiency, reduce the cost of energy, improve self-sufficiency and sustainability, secure existing industry and establish a renewable industry and supply chain in the Highlands."

Should the first phase of the District Heating scheme prove successful, plans include rolling out the initiative to local businesses and organisations, including Wick's local High School.

Note to editors:

Inver House Distillers own and operate five malt whisky distilleries: Speyburn in Rothes, Balblair near Tain, Balmenach near Grantown-on-Spey, Knockdhu near Huntly and Old Pulteney in Wick. These distilleries contribute to sales of Single Malt and blended scotch whiskies to over 85 countries around the world.

For further information, please contact Pamela Scobbie of Burt Greener Communications on 0141 248 6007 or email pam@burtgreener.co.uk

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