Up until the 1950s, the mill in the village of Ahascragh in Ireland turned grain into flour. When that stopped, the mill was left derelict. Now, it has been given a new lease of (green) life as the home to Ireland’s first zero-emissions distillery of this scale, working with decarbonisation advisers Astatine.
Ahascragh Distillery makes Irish whiskey and gin. It is powered using a high temperature heat pump, an energy efficient storage system and renewable energy including wind, solar and hydro.
With an overall investment of €10 million, supported by a €500,000 grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, the project has created 20 jobs in and around the rural village of Ahascragh while supporting a further 60-70 indirect jobs through local supply chains.
The Distillery owners Gareth and Michelle McAllister have already felt the considerable benefits of their project. The peak heating and cooling demand has more than halved; the distillery’s energy use is two thirds less than it would have been using traditional technology, and the heat pump runs on green electricity. With an input temperature of 60°C and an output temperature of 120°C, the heat pump avoids around 613 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Ireland’s Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan said,
“Ireland’s first eco-distillery is an innovative example of what all Irish industry should be considering to cut cost and carbon at the same time. Electrification of our heat will be at the cornerstone of reducing costs and our carbon emissions in the years ahead.”
Founder and Managing Director, Gareth McAllister said “It is our ambition to make Irish whiskey production more sustainable and environmentally friendly. We are excited to be making whiskey history in the West of Ireland.”
