Optimising sustainability: Circular pathways for Scotch Whisky distillery co-products. (1st April 2023)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Duffy, Colm; Styles, David; Schestak, Isabel; Macgregor, Kenneth; Jack, Frances; Henn, Daniel; Black, Kirsty; Iannetta, Pietro P.M.
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 395(2023)
• Publication Date: 2023-04-01
• Subjects: Consequential LCA -- Circular economy -- Climate change -- Anaerobic digestion; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136436
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: The use of co-products for animal feed can potentially have a higher greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and water scarcity offset compared to bio-energy (bio-electricity/fuel) production. We cluster 136 Scotch Whisky distilleries and evaluate the co-product pathways for the production of animal-feed and/or bio-energy at centralised processing facilities. Production of animal feed, and the subsequent displacement of imported animal feed, offered the most significant GHG offset, which was between a factor of c.a. 2.5 to 8 times greater than the bio-electricity/fuel and bio-energy/feed scenarios. This offers significant potential from a global net-zero carbon emissions perspective. However, this comes at a cost to local energy security potential. Bio-electricity produced in the electricity intensive scenarios was 481 GWh per year. This would significantly increase Scotland's bio-energy production and equates to c.a. 5% of Scotland's non-commercial electricity needs. Highlights: The study utilises consequential life cycle analysis to explore potential pathways for Scotch whisky distillery co-products. Results indicate significant energy security and climate mitigation trade-offs between pathways. Production of animal feed offset up to 8 times more GHG emissions than bio-energy scenarios. Bio-energy scenarios could potentially meet up to 5% of Scotland's non-commercial electricity needs.