Annandale Distillery has commissioned a first-of-a-kind decarbonised heat project near Dumfries, marking a significant advancement in the production of low-carbon whisky.

Developed in partnership with clean heat technology company Exergy3 and boiler manufacturer Cochran Ltd, the project uses low- and zero-carbon electricity to generate high-temperature process heat.

The initiative is a key component of Annandale Distillery's 12-step decarbonisation plan, which also includes onsite bottling and maturation to reduce transportation emissions, the adoption of electric vehicles, and the investigation of circular economy solutions for spent grain and carbon dioxide.

Exergy3's modular thermal energy storage system captures renewable electricity—specifically wind power that might otherwise be curtailed—and converts it into thermal energy stored at ultra-high temperatures. At Annandale, the system provides hot air of up to 530°C, which is then converted into green steam by a Cochran boiler for use in the distillation process.

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Prof. David Thomson, co-founder of Annandale Distillery, commented: "This is a first – not just for the whisky industry or Scotland, but globally. Heat-intensive industries like ours are under increasing pressure to decarbonise, and solutions that can deliver high-temperature heat without fossil fuels have been hard to find. The fact that it does so economically, while also helping tackle the rising costs of balancing the electricity system, makes it incredibly powerful."

The solution is highly efficient, with thermal losses of less than 1% per 24 hours and a round-trip efficiency of up to 96%. At the distillery, three modules provide 30MWh of storage capacity, feeding a 3MW Cochran boiler to produce green steam at 10 bar pressure.

Eric Daglish from Cochran Ltd said: "Across industry, we see growing interest in alternatives to fossil fuels as companies work towards their carbon reduction goals. One of the biggest challenges has been finding solutions that are both practical and economically feasible, but this technology shows that it's possible. We are proud to be part of a project that marks such a significant milestone for the wider decarbonisation of industry."

Beyond its environmental benefits, the technology offers significant economic potential by utilising electricity that would otherwise be wasted. Markus Rondé, CEO of Exergy3, noted: "Beyond whisky, our solution could halve global industrial CO₂ emissions, while being cheaper than gas and reducing rapidly rising curtailment costs that are paid for by the consumer."

The system is designed for rapid deployment, with a physical footprint similar to a standard garage and a modular design that allows for commissioning in months rather than years. It is supported by funding from the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero through its Net Zero Innovation Portfolio and serves as a scalable model for other heat-intensive industries, including pharmaceuticals, food and drink, chemicals, and cement.