The carbon produced by Scotland's distilleries could be turned into oil using a system developed by an American entrepreneur whose firm has won an award from one of the world's biggest oil and gas companies.
The carbon produced by Scotland's distilleries could be turned into oil using a system developed by an American entrepreneur whose firm has won an award from one of the world's biggest oil and gas companies.
David Van Alstyne's Scottish Bioenergy Cooperative Ventures is preparing to roll out technology which could allow drinks firms to convert wasteful by-products into valuable resources using humble algae after winning £40,000 under Shell's Springboard programme.
The prize money will fill a hole in the capital budget for the firm's first full-scale operating system at the Glenturret Distillery in Perthshire, where Edrington produces Famous Grouse whisky.
The two firms hope to use bioreactors produced by Scottish Bioenergy to achieve a big reduction in the distillery's carbon footprint and operating costs.
The bioreactors are glass panels that contain water and algae. When carbon dioxide is percolated through the panels, the algae strips out the carbon atoms, which are made into biodiesel.
The process also produces proteins that could be used to enrich spent grain from the distillery so that it is suitable for sale to fish farmers.
Van Alstyne has high hopes that there could be a big market for the technology.
"The UK has a large number of brewers and distillers who use heavy oil in the production of alcohol and who are seeking new methods to reduce their CO2 output."
A veteran of the American venture capital and defence contracting businesses, Van Alstyne developed the process after being alerted to the efforts of the administration of former US president Jimmy Carter to use algae to generate energy in the 1970s.
Van Alstyne has lived in Scotland for 10 years. Scottish Bioenergy Cooperative Ventures is based in St Cyrus in Aberdeenshire.
The company won the Scotland and Northern England final of the Springboard scheme, and will compete in the UK final on March 3.
