Whisky to fuel cars as professor drives recycling plan

"The beauty is its simplicity," says Tangney, 47, founder of Celtic Renewables Ltd ., an Edinburgh-based company that grew out of his research work as director of the Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University . "Scotch Whisky is synonymous with Scotland, like bagpipes and kilts," Bloomberg reports.

The professor and his team have developed the technology to produce biobutanol from the by-products of whisky. Tullibardine Ltd., an independent producer in Perthshire, signed an agreement last month with Celtic Renewables aimed at becoming the first distillery in the world to have its waste converted into advanced biofuel, capable of powering vehicles.

Whisky is the country's biggest export and distillers are expanding production, defying the tough economic climate with sales to emerging markets . At the same time, Scotland is trying to turn itself into a renewable energy hub, with 100 percent of the nation's electricity needs coming from wind, water and marine sources by 2020 compared with about 35 percent now.

"The brand image of Scotch is absolutely enormous: It's a global brand people can relate to," Tangney says in an interview over lunch at The Honours brasserie in the Scottish capital. "At the same time, Scotland has highest self-imposed renewable- energy target in the world."

Animal Feed

Tullibardine has the capacity to provide 6,500 metric tons of draff (what's left of the grain after fermentation) and 2 million liters of pot ale (residue from the still), by-products that are currently spread on agricultural fields, turned into animal feed or discharged into the sea, all at cost.

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