Irish Distillers has launched a project to make Midleton Distillery carbon neutral by the end of 2026, it announced today.

The group is set to invest €50m in the distillery over the next four years to deliver the project.

This is the largest investment for a carbon neutral project made by an Irish distillery to date. By the completion of the project Midleton Distillery is on track to be Ireland’s first carbon neutral distillery.

Enterprise Ireland has provided grant aid to help fund part of the project. 

As part of the project, the distillery will focus on reducing overall energy use by improving on-site energy generation efficiency and recycling waste heat in the distillation process. Irish Distillers has also invested in highly efficient boilers which will require less fuel to operate.

Eventually, the distillery will entirely phase out its use of fossil fuels and its remaining energy requirements will be fulfilled by generating power from renewable sources.

Operating in partnership with MaREI, the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine, hosted by University College Cork, Irish Distillers carried out research to aid in the delivery of the project.

Conor McQuaid, CEO and Chairman said: “Today is a hugely significant day for Irish Distillers as we announce our ambition for Midleton Distillery to become the first and largest carbon neutral distillery in Ireland by 2026. This announcement is reflective of our commitment and ambition to reduce our environmental impact. 

"We understand that our long-term future depends on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. This plan was many years in the making, and we understand that there are many more years ahead to reach our goal. However, we are confident that by making this bold and brave move into the future, we will leave fossil fuels behind for good," he continued. 

"Through the delivery of this plan, we hope to play our part in supporting Ireland’s decarbonising strategy while also aligning with Pernod Ricard’s commitment to follow a Net Zero trajectory by 2050.” 

An Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar TD, also welcomed the launch of the project. 

Leo Clancy, Enterprise Ireland CEO, said: “Distilling is an energy-intensive process and Irish Distillers is committed to significantly reducing emissions and making a positive environmental impact across all areas of their business. Their plans to leverage break-through emissions reducing technologies will in turn provide a blueprint for the industry and other distilleries in Ireland.” 

Tommy Keane, Operations Director at Irish Distillers, said: “With the climate crisis at a critical juncture, Irish Distillers is committed to reducing our environmental impact across our entire value chain and an area that we cannot ignore is how we power our distillery.

"While the technical challenges the team face in transforming our operations at Midleton Distillery to become carbon neutral are considerable, we believe that with the help and support of our partners at home and across the globe, this is possible," he added.

Reporting: The Irish Examiner