Glenmorangie appoints Aquabio to design and build new wastewater treatment plant

As part of its major programme of environmental improvement, the whisky producer The Glenmorangie Company has nominated water treatment specialist Aquabio to design and build the core technology package for a new wastewater treatment plant at Glenmorangie Distillery at Tain, Ross-shire.

The anaerobic digestion plant uses natural biological processes to both reduce output in distillery wastewater by up to 95 per cent and create energy in the form of methane-rich biogas. The biogas will replace some of the fossil fuels currently used at the distillery to heat the stills in which the spirit is made. The plant will also improve the standard of wastewater discharge. United Utilities have been appointed as overall main contactor for the construction phase and have appointed Aquabio to provide the remaining mechanical and electrical work on the project.

Steve Goodwin, Managing Director of Aquabio said: 'We are delighted that The Glenmorangie Company is investing in renewable energy technology with us which will benefit the company, its customers and the environment'.

The low-energy anaerobic membrane bioreactor plant (AnMBR LE™) has been designed to improve the quality of the effluent being discharged to the Dornoch Firth to help meet corporate requirements in addition to providing the site with biogas which will be reused as fuel within the site boiler system.

Construction work has started with the plant due to be fully operational in early autumn 2016.