Alternative fuels are growing in popularity as the world faces growing oil prices. Currently biofuels are produced using a variety of sources, including crops and fast-growing plants that would otherwise never be used as crops. Fuels can also be produced from the byproducts of other industries, such as refining oil from cooking, and even the whiskey business.
Celtic Renewables Ltd in Scotland, attached to the Edinburgh Napier University, is currently in the process of generating biofuel with whiskey byproducts on a large scale. In Scotland, malt whiskey is a $6.28 billion a year industry. Two major byproducts, pot ale and draff, are able to be used to create biofuel and other useful products.
Pot ale is simply residue from the process, which amounts to about 423 million gallons a year. Draff is what remains of the grains which are used to create whiskey, of which there are approximately 500,000 tons created a year. These two byproducts are able to be turned into biobutanol using Celtic Renewables’ process.
Biobutanol differs from ethanol in that it can be used in engines not specially fitted for the fuel. Butanol and biobutanol do not come into conflict with regular fuel, diesel or biodiesel, which makes it potentially very profitable and safe. In addition, studies have found that when compared to bioethanol, biobutanol is twenty-five percent more powerful.
Celtic Renewables has noted that the process they have created will also be able to be used in other industries, not just for whiskey. Needless to say, the process could likely result in high levels of biofuel production especially if other alcoholic beverages come into the mix. Celtic Renewables did not disclose specific process details.
