Ahascragh Distillery has been shortlisted as finalists in the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Energy Awards 2023.

The annual awards recognise and reward excellence in sustainable energy in business, communities, research, buildings, renewables and the public sector. Over the last two decades, the awards have celebrated success, leadership, and ambition in sustainable energy and we are delighted to be amongst this year’s shortlist.

Ahascragh Distillery is nominated under the innovative deployment of renewable energy category. We have decarbonised the traditional whiskey production process using a revolutionary new system that cuts operating costs and cuts carbon emissions.

We achieve this utilising very high temperature heat pump technology, heat recovery and a very efficient energy storage system that drives all energy needs in the distillery, offices and visitor centre.

Ahascragh Distillery recycles energy that would normally be rejected, making the process significantly more efficient than a conventional design would have been. The distillery is compatible with a broad range of renewables and there is massive scope for replication of this approach throughout the food and drink industry.

The innovative design achieves temperatures above 115 degrees celsius, first in Ireland and the UK. The design process, utilised by the SEAI EXEED programme, achieves a saving of 706 tonnes of CO2 per year with a 40% reduction in cost and an expected lifetime of 20 years.

The project’s ground-breaking achievement, being the first distillery in the world to use a heat pump system for all its heat needs, sets us apart and showcases the potential of heat pump technology in decarbonisation efforts.

We are proud to be listed amongst the most sustainable businesses in Ireland and want to wish fellow nominees the best of luck!