JENBACH, Austria--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today GE (NYSE: GE) announced an expansion with Scottish distilling icon William Grant & Sons (Grant’s) to supply a combined heat and power solution with an ecomagination-qualified Jenbacher J620 gas engine to the Grant’s Girvan Distillery in Girvan, Scotland. The J620 gas engine will create 3 megawatts (MW) of additional power while reusing the CO2 typically emitted as waste during the manufacturing process, increasing plant efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of the facility.
Operating on biogas (created from residual malt materials used in distillation to produce alcohol), the J620 will be the fourth Jenbacher gas engine onsite and will solidify Grant’s as one of the cleanest and largest independent power producers in the region. GE will deliver the unit to William Grant & Sons this fall.
Grant’s is continuing its history of creating more efficient distilling methods while limiting environmental impact. “Our ability to generate on-site power at the Girvan distillery has been critical in our continued efforts to reduce our carbon footprint while increasing efficiency,” said Conn Lynch, Girvan site leader, William Grant & Sons. “The addition of the J620 also qualifies this site for Renewable Obligation Certificates, once again adding to our extensive green credentials.”
Grant’s already has three J420 Jenbacher gas engines installed at the plant, with two commissioned in 2009 and one commissioned this summer. In total, the generation plant can generate about 7 MW.
The new engine, supplied to Grant’s through Clarke Energy in Liverpool, has the ability to run at excess of 43 percent electrical efficiency operating on biogas. As such, the J620 enables customers to utilize local and abundant waste materials for independent power generation. At Grant’s, the J620, which will be operational early next year, will reuse the whisky wastewater (typically cast off as waste during the manufacturing process) to power the facility. This, in turn, will reduce the waste generated during the distilling process and allow the facility to operate at increased efficiency. Meanwhile, the engine’s exhaust also will be captured and recovered as thermal (heat) power to produce steam used in the distilling process.
The delivery of the J620 underscores the growing global demand for flexible, cost-effective and efficient electricity generation, specifically utilizing regional fuel materials. “GE’s flex fuel gas engine solutions give our customers the ability to utilize naturally occurring and local resources to generate power while significantly reducing their environmental impact,” noted Rafael Santana, president and CEO—GE Gas Engines for GE Energy. “With our gas engine technologies, companies are empowered to meet aggressive carbon reduction goals while improving operating costs.”
Collaborating with organizations in the food and beverage industry to develop localized and distributed advanced power generation technologies is central to GE’s dedicated approach to the global food and beverage industry. By working with customers to further refine solutions such as the combined heat and power solution based on GE’s Gas Engines business, the company will continue to develop innovative solutions to the industry’s most pressing energy challenges.
The gas engines employed in this solution also have applications in industries ranging from hospitals to universities, sport stadiums to farms and from airports to small towns. Through existing collaborations, with corporations such as Clarke Energy, GE’s authorized distributor and service provider for Jenbacher gas engines in the United Kingdom, GE Gas Engines maintains an unparalleled ability to provide service and support globally, while innovating locally.
About William Grant & Sons
William Grant & Sons Holdings Ltd. is an independent family-owned distiller headquartered in the United Kingdom and founded by William Grant in 1887. Today, the global premium spirits company is run by the fifth generation of his family and distills some of the world’s leading brands of Scotch whisky, including the world’s most awarded single malt Glenfiddich®, The Balvenie® range of handcrafted single malts and the world’s third largest blended Scotch Grant’s® as well as other iconic spirits brands such as Hendrick’s® Gin, Sailor Jerry® and most recently, Tullamore Dew® Irish Whiskey
Click on www.williamgrant.com for more information on the company and its brands.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) is an advanced technology, services and finance company taking on the world’s toughest challenges. Dedicated to innovation in energy, health, transportation and infrastructure, GE operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 300,000 people worldwide. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.ge.com.
GE also serves the energy sector by providing technology and service solutions that are based on a commitment to quality and innovation. The company continues to invest in new technology solutions and grow through strategic acquisitions to strengthen its local presence and better serve customers around the world. The businesses that comprise GE Energy www.ge.com/energy—GE Power & Water, GE Energy Management and GE Oil & Gas—work together with more than 90,000 global employees and 2010 revenues of $38 billion, to provide integrated product and service solutions in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; as well as other alternative fuels and new grid modernization technologies to meet 21st century energy needs.