The GlenAllachie Distillery installs energy-saving technology with Briggs of Burton

Here’s something that’ll get the green tech enthusiasts excited – The GlenAllachie has just hit a major milestone with their groundbreaking energy efficiency project, and the numbers are frankly impressive.

Billy Walker’s distillery is rolling out a Mechanical Vapour Recompression (MVR) system in partnership with Briggs of Burton that promises over 90% energy savings in wash distillation. We’re talking about a complete game-changer here – they’re retrofitting two 21,000-litre wash stills from McMillan Coppersmiths with BRIGGS ThermoDrive units, set to launch in 2025.

The tech essentially captures and recycles heat that would normally disappear into the ether during distillation. The projected savings? A hefty 367 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually – that’s like powering nearly 825 homes for a year. Pretty significant when you consider pot stills account for around 60% of the distillery’s total energy consumption.

What’s clever about this setup is how practical it is. Dr Ben Connolly from Briggs points out the system runs quietly (under 78 dB), so it won’t disrupt visitor tours, and it’s ATEX-rated for safety. The whole project got backing from the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund in 2023, which made this scale of investment feasible.

Walker’s vision here isn’t about ramping up production – it’s about switching from gas to electricity (on a green tariff) while maintaining quality and tradition. They’ve even added solar panels to the mix, really doubling down on the sustainability angle.

This is part of Briggs’ broader mission to decarbonise Scotch whisky production. They’ve already achieved 40% energy savings at other sites with their ThermoStore and ThermoJet systems, so the tech credentials are solid.

Worth noting that while all this innovation’s happening, The GlenAllachie’s still smashing it on the awards front – their 12-year-old just took World’s Best Single Malt at the 2025 World Whiskies Awards, and they’ve launched the sixth batch of their acclaimed 21-year-old Cask Strength series.