A University spinout has signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) on a joint venture that is set to play a significant role in the clean-up of India’s brewing and distilling industry – a sector worth in the region of $35 billion per annum.
The partnership between Celtic Renewables and the Indian renewables firm, Dross Energy, will use a process developed by the pioneering biofuel company that converts residues from whisky production into a new advanced biofuel – biobutanol – a sustainable fuel that power vehicles.
The MOU was signed at the Indian Water Summit, a high profile Indian Government lead event focused around tackling the pollution issues in the Ganges river.
At the summit, Nintin Gadkari, the Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, witnessed a car powered by biofuel produced in Scotland from whisky waste.
Professor Martin Tangney, Celtic Renewables’ Founder and President, was in attendance at the Indian Water Summit to sign the deal. He said: “The technology developed by Celtic Renewables is a game changer for the Indian brewing and distilling industry that has been widely criticised for dumping residue from the distilling process into the Ganges - a source of drinking water for over 400 million people.
“The Indian Government has committed several billion pounds to pollution reduction and river rejuvenation through its dedicated arm The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and I am proud our company will be part of the solution.”
Cherise Mascarenhas, Head of Scottish Development International in India, said: “Scotland is world famous for its whisky, clean water and innovation. This latest partnership, which builds on a SDI Scotland/India mission supported by the Scottish Government’s Hydro Nation agenda, will see that combination exported to deliver significant environmental impact in India and, at the same time, see Celtic Renewables drive forward its international business growth ambition.”
A spokesperson for Dross Energy said: “We are hugely excited to be the company to bring this ground-breaking technology to India. The technology is innovative and exciting, and we want to be the second country in the world, behind Scotland, to commercialise the process for the benefit of the environment.”