A planning application has been submitted for the development of Balnespick Wind Farm, a renewable energy project designed to power Tomatin Distillery in the Scottish Highlands. If approved, the wind farm will generate up to 64.8MW of electricity, providing sustainable energy directly to the distillery.
A Green Energy Future for Tomatin Distillery
Balnespick Wind Farm, proposed by Fred. Olsen Renewables, will be located 5.6km east of Tomatin and 6.6km north-west of Carrbridge. The development will feature nine wind turbines alongside a battery storage facility, ensuring a reliable energy supply for the distillery and potentially the wider community.
Community Engagement and Local Benefits
Since 2023, the wind farm has been the focus of extensive community consultations. Fred. Olsen Renewables has gathered local feedback to shape the project in a way that benefits the area. The company aims to foster a strong partnership between renewable energy developers and the local community, creating economic and environmental advantages.
A Historic Distillery Embracing Sustainability
Tomatin Distillery, established in 1897, has a long history of whisky production. After a brief closure in 1906, it reopened three years later and has been operating ever since. Committed to sustainability, the distillery was the first in Scotland to install an environmentally efficient wood pellet-fueled steam boiler in 2013. In more recent years, plans to open a new visitor centre in 2025 to take advantage of the increased interest in whisky tourism across Scotland.
Partnering with Balnespick Wind Farm aligns with Tomatin’s ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy costs, and transition to non-fossil fuels.
A Unique Collaboration with Caldera
To further decarbonise whisky production, Fred. Olsen Renewables and Tomatin Distillery plan to collaborate with Caldera, a British cleantech pioneer. Caldera’s innovative storage boilers will use electricity from Balnespick to store energy as heat, ensuring that wind power can be efficiently utilised even when demand does not align with energy generation.
James Macnaghten, CEO of Caldera, explains:
“Caldera is committed to helping distilleries like Tomatin decarbonise their operations. Wind power is an amazing renewable energy source, but its availability doesn’t always align with production needs. Our Storage Boilers solve this challenge by capturing wind-generated electricity whenever it’s available and storing it as heat until required at a fraction of the cost of electric batteries.”
A Commitment to Local Investment
Beyond clean energy, the proposed wind farm will deliver economic benefits to the local community. The planning application includes a community benefit fund valued at over £11 million throughout the wind farm’s 35-year lifespan.
Kelly Wyness, Senior Project Manager at Fred. Olsen Renewables, emphasises the project’s significance:
“We are committed to ensuring that all of our developments make a positive contribution to the country’s climate change targets and support energy security. However, we also recognise that our proposals need to go much further than that – and we hope that Balnespick Wind Farm can help to demonstrate the true opportunities that a wind farm can provide.”
Investing in a Green Whisky Future
If approved, Balnespick Wind Farm will play a crucial role in shaping the future of sustainable whisky production. By leveraging wind power and innovative energy storage solutions, Tomatin Distillery is set to reduce its carbon footprint while continuing its 128-year tradition of crafting world-class whisky.
In fact, many whisky distilleries are opting to invest in more sustainable whisky production. These include:
North Uist Distillery using locally grown bere barley
The Glenviet moving away from peated whisky
Chivas Brothers transforming whisky waste into valuable bio-chemicals