Diageo Spends Big on Carbon Neutral Distillery

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Diageo plans to build a carbon neutral $191.8 million ($245 Canadian) distillery to support momentum and growth for its Crown Royal Canadian Whisky brand. The design and development of the Diageo distillery will be shaped by Diageo’s Society 2030:Spirit of Progress sustainability action plan, the company says.

It will have a capacity to produce up to 20 million liters of absolute alcohol annually, will sit on approximately 400 acres in Ontario’s St. Clair Township, and includes a distillery, as well as blending and warehousing operations.

The distillery will feature resource efficiency technologies and will operate with 100% renewable energy to ensure it is carbon neutral and zero-waste to landfill from all direct operations. Powered by 100% renewable electricity, and designed for highly-efficient water usage, the new distillery will implement previous designs to avoid more than 117,000 metric tons annually of direct and indirect carbon emissions.

Sourcing a mix of wind and solar energy, using electrode boilers, and capturing solar power on site for external lighting all play a part in ensuring that no fossil fuels will be consumed in the production of Crown Royal Canadian Whisky. 

The new Diageo distillery will supplement the company’s existing Canadian manufacturing operations in Amherstburg, Ontario, Gimli, Manitoba, and Valleyfield, Quebec. This project will represent a further investment in Canada by Diageo of $191.8 million, over the next three years. Once operational, this new facility will require less intense upkeep and provide dozens of new jobs, furthering Diageo’s reach.

This project is inspired by a Kentucky Whiskey Distillery that Diageo began working on in 2020, which has designs made to push them toward their sustainability goals while also lowering annual costs. Ideas such as lowered ceilings to reduce the amount of necessary heating and LED lights on timers are a big draw for these new distilleries.

Environment + Energy Leader