Diageo proclaims its first carbon impartial distillery |
Diageo announces plans for the Kentucky whiskey distillery, which will produce Bulleit as one of the largest climate neutral distilleries in North America
Diageo, A UK multinational beverage company has announced that its new Kentucky whiskey distillery, which Bulleit will distill, is expected to be carbon neutral – one of the largest in North America and a first for Diageo. The site reaffirms Diageo's global commitment to reducing its CO2 emissions and combating climate change, and is powered 100% by renewable electricity. The capacity is up to 10 million gallons per year.
The new distillery, currently under construction in Lebanon, Kentucky, reflects Diageo's commitment to CO2 emissions and brings the company closer to its goal of sourcing 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. With electrode boilers The site will use a mix of renewable power sources to power a 72,000-square-meter distillery, drying house, and storage facilities.
As previously announced, The Diageo Lebanon Distillery can distill a variety of bourbon and American whiskey brands. Bulleit will be the first and leading brand to be manufactured in the new distillery – and will complement existing production at The Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville, Kentucky. This step will further strengthen the brand's commitment to a more sustainable future.
"As a company, we know that our long-term sustainable growth depends on being less dependent on fossil fuels that contribute to climate change," said Perry Jones, president of North America Supply for Diageo.
“This groundbreaking undertaking to electrify our operations and then supply them with renewable electricity will result in one of the largest climate-neutral distilleries in North America. This is an important step in strengthening our commitment to minimizing our CO2 emissions and significantly reducing Diageo's environmental impact on a global level. "
“For Bulleit, our passion for sustainability began with the construction of the Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville, where we focus on reducing CO2 emissions, protecting water, and disposing of waste during production. When we opened our visitor experience there, we opted for practices such as removing disposable plastics from our bar and sourcing locally grown organic cocktail sets from our local garden, ”said Sophie Kelly, SVP Whiskeys, Diageo NA.
“Our commitment to the environment is developing with the Lebanon distillery, where no fossil fuels are used to manufacture Bulleit. This allows us to truly double our efforts to reinvent category standards. "
Diageo Lebanon Distillery infographic
In order to achieve CO2 neutrality at the site, Diageo plans a number of functions with which the annual CO2 emissions can be avoided by more than 117,000 tons. This corresponds to an annual shutdown of more than 25,000 cars.
These features include electrode boilers that help avoid direct carbon emissions that would normally result from using fossil fuel boilers. Electrode boilers also offer advantages such as lower noise pollution and the reduction of other air pollutants.
All vehicles operated on site, including trucks and forklifts, are electrically operated and charged with renewable energy on site. 100% of the steam used on site – for cooking, distilling and drying – is generated by the electrode boilers (which are powered by renewable electricity).
The energy efficiency of the new electric boilers will be optimized, the exterior lighting will be solar powered, the entire interior lighting on site will be a light emitting diode (LED), the interior lighting of the warehouse will only be activated when loading or unloading, and the roofs will be lowered to minimize heating and cooling requirements.
Long-term contracts with the local utility company enable the purchase of electricity without greenhouse gas emissions from certified renewable sources. Renewable electricity is supplied by Inter-County Energy and the East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC). The location is said to be the industry leader in terms of efficiency and minimizing water consumption. After operation, the site is designed to minimize the consumption of materials and waste through reuse and recycling. Residual waste is not sent to landfills.
“I welcome Diageo's commitment to CO2 neutrality and the use of renewable energies in the Bulleit distillery in Lebanon. This is a remarkable example of a historic Kentucky industry that has a new future ahead of it, ”said Andy Beshear, Kentucky governor.
"To continue the Commonwealth economic recovery, attract corporate investment and create jobs for Kentuckians in all counties, it is important that we and our economic development partners provide a cost effective energy mix. Energy diversity is something that more and more industries are thinking about when they think about it decide on a location. If we offer the right mix, we can offer the future generations a better future. "
"We would like to welcome you as Diageo makes this valuable investment in Lebanon-Marion County," said Jerry Carter, President and CEO of Inter-County Energy, which will power the Lebanese distillery.
“Inter-County Energy is proud to work with Diageo and the East Kentucky Power Cooperative (EKPC) to understand the energy needs of this facility and to develop innovative ways to meet the sustainability goals of one of the largest renewable energy consumers in Kentucky. ”
