Wednesday 1 July 2020

Diageo promises fossil-fuel-free whiskey production with new carbon-neutral distillery

Beverages giant Diageo has announced its new whiskey distillery in Kentucky, one of the largest facilities in North America, will be carbon-neutral.

Employing electrode boilers, the site will utilise a mix of renewable electricity sources to power a 72,000 square-foot distillery, dry house, and warehousing facilities.

The firm also plans to incorporate other green features in the factory, which are expected to help avoid annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 117,000 metric tonnes, the equivalent to taking more than 25,000 cars off the road.

All vehicles operated onsite, including trucks, will be electric and charged by renewable energy.

Exterior lighting of the facility will be solar-powered and lowered roofs will minimise heating and cooling requirement.

Perry Jones, President, North America Supply for Diageo, said: "As a company, we know that our long-term sustainable growth depends on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.

"This is a significant step to strengthen our commitment to minimizing our carbon emissions and will result in an important reduction of Diageo’s environmental impact on a global level.”

Diageo has set a goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.