Green hydrogen hub to help decarbonise whiskey industry in Speyside

The Scottish Government has announced a £3.1 million investment towards the construction of a green hydrogen hub in Speyside, aimed at supporting the decarbonisation of the region’s whisky industry. The project, led by Storegga, is expected to produce around 200MW of green hydrogen by 2032.

The hub will provide fuel and energy for over 40 industrial sites, including whisky distilleries and hauliers, contributing to a significant reduction in carbon emissions. Once fully operational, the hub is estimated to save 190,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. This is the equivalent of a 35% drop in the Scottish whisky sector’s 2018 baseline emissions or the same as taking around 135,000 cars from roads in Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s funding will be matched by Storegga, bringing the total investment to £6.2 million. This initiative complements the Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, which has supported 31 projects across the country since 2022.

Acting energy secretary Gillian Martin:

“This Scottish Government funding will support the construction of a new hub in Speyside, creating job opportunities for a hundred people in the local area. The hub will also support decarbonisation of Scotland’s iconic whisky industry, which currently relies on energy intensive production techniques – by creating clean energy and heat used for distilling and fuel for transportation.

“There is significant potential for the development of green hydrogen production in Scotland, due to our capability to generate so much renewable energy from offshore wind – crucial to the process of making green hydrogen. And as we continue with our transition to net zero, green hydrogen will play an increasingly important role within industry as organisations further decarbonise their operations and support Scotland’s transition to net zero.”