A team of Scottish scientists are using whiskey in a new way.
Normally, all the leftovers that are found in the still after the whiskey-making process is complete are considered waste. However, that waste could result in the main ingredient in creating an alternative fuel that could power cars and other gas-operated machines.
According to CNN reports, scientists in Scotland have used three elements of whiskey waste, a combination of draff, pot ale and spent lees, and fermentation processing to convert the byproduct into a biochemical, which could replace petrol and diesel used in vehicles.
Professor Martin Tangney, founder and president of start-up firm Celtic Renewables and the leading scientist behind all this, said that successful road tests have already proven cars can be run on their biobutanol created from whisky-making leftovers. He added: “That’s one million fewer litres of petrochemicals that will be needed to make the things we use every day, from fuel to cosmetics and healthcare items, which will help to lower emissions.”
Professor Martin Tangney has also expressed that whiskey waste could also take the place of oil in products such as plastics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, clothing and electronics.
A study by the University of Michigan shows that biofuels make up just 2.5% of worldwide used fuels, and that’s predicted to rise to 6% by 2050. It was thought that ethanol would be the fuel alternative of the future, but the University of Michigan study points out that ethanol production has dropped since 2017. On the other hand, biodiesel has had a fluctuating rise in production since 2011.
