Scientists in Scotland announced this week that they figured out a way to produce biofuel from whiskey. At first, this dram fan was horrified: Why would anyone want to waste good whiskey to make biofuel? But the process turns out to be rather brilliant.
A team of researchers at Edinburgh Napier University's Biofuel Research Center led by the center's director, biology professor Martin Tangney, have spent the last two years experimenting with two byproducts of the whiskey-making process.
They took the byproducts, a liquid from copper stills called "pot ale" and spent grains, wonderfully named "draff," and turned it into a butanol "superfuel." The butanol could then be blended with regular gasoline or diesel, similar to the way small amounts of ethanol are blended now, meaning engines wouldn't need any alterations.
Related Links:
- Biofuel's Water Problem
- Air, Sugar Power New Human Fuel Cell
- Top 10 Sources for Biofuel
- Algae Biofuel Production Targets Waste
The scientists used draff and pot ale from the Glenkinchie Distillery in Pencaitland, Scotland, but they're staying mum on exactly how they made the biofuel. I can only imagine there were some heady smells involved.
The potential market for transforming this organic waste into fuel is actually sizable. According to the university, the $6.25 billion whiskey industry produces more than 400 million gallons of pot ale and 187,000 tons of draff every year. So far, the scientists have filed a patent on the biofuel and plan to start a company that will develop it commercially.
I think the appropriate thing to say now is something along the lines of "cheers!" or "bottoms up!" but I'm going to go with "whiskey-biofuel!" Neat.
Photo: A whiskey library. Credit: Ethan Prater.
Tags: Alternative Fuels, Energy, Fossil Fuels, Green Tech
comments ( )