It’ll be a first in Ireland.

Irish Distillers has today announced that it will invest €50 million in Midleton Distillery over the next four years to deliver a carbon-neutral operation by the end of 2026.

The ambitious plan will see the distillery, home to some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys, including Jameson, Powers, Redbreast, Midleton Very Rare, the Spot family and Method and Madness, phase out the use of fossil fuels to power its operation and roll out several projects aimed at reducing overall energy use.

In time, the distillery’s remaining energy requirements will be fulfilled by generating power from renewable sources.

As part of the initial phases of the roadmap, Irish Distillers has invested in highly efficient boilers which will require less fuel to operate.

Blazing a trail

Speaking about the launch of the project at Midleton Distillery, An Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar TD congratulated the business “for blazing a trail”.

“We need to take better care of our planet.” Mr Varadkar said.

“Enterprise has a role to play, not just in reducing emissions that come directly from their operations, but by innovating and creating new products and ways of doing things that will help us make the changes that are needed.”

Commenting on the announcement, Tommy Keane, Operations Director at Irish Distillers, said: “With the climate crisis at a critical juncture, Irish Distillers is committed to reducing our environmental impact across our entire value chain and an area that we cannot ignore is how we power our distillery.

“While the technical challenges the team face in transforming our operations at Midleton Distillery to become carbon neutral are considerable, we believe that with the help and support of our partners at home and across the globe, this is possible. We are committed to doing the right thing for our industry, people, and communities.

“Together, we can make a real impact.”