One of the UK’s leading malting companies – Bairds Malt – expects to be running at full capacity by April at its newly expanded Inverness site.
The firm, which operates four sites throughout the UK, has been working on a two-site expansion to increase its malting capacity by 79,000 tonnes.
It said that the new expansion in the Highland capital would increase the facility’s production capacity by 57,000 tonnes per annum but it would need to procure around 74,000 tonnes of barley to produce its expected annual malt capacity.
The Arbroath site saw its refurbishment completed in 2021 which increased production capacity by 22,000 tonnes per annum.
“Expanding our malting capacity in Scotland means sourcing even more local barley – providing a home for grain grown on our doorstep and offering our customers the provenance that is increasingly more important to the whisky consumer,” said procurement director and Scotgrain general manager, Owen Southwood.
New expansion to increase production by 57,000 tonnes per annum
After more than two years of construction and over 400,000 working hours, Bairds Malt commenced wet commissioning at the Inverness plant last month.
The first batch of malt produced was high-quality commercial grade, meaning it met the full quality specifications to supply customers.
Last week, the firm held a celebration to commemorate the new facility, with employees present from across the country, as well as North America and Australia.
Richard Broadbent, vice president of United Malt and UK general manager, said: “Bairds Malt holds a proud record with the most recent malting plant investments in the UK. We built a new state of the art maltings at our Arbroath site in 2010, providing high quality malt to meet increasing demand from Scotland’s distillers.”
The chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, attended the opening ceremony and said despite economic challenges, the Scotch Whisky industry has continued to expand.
“This has led to significant investment being made across the sector, from production through to tourism, which in turn supports jobs and growth in communities, and contributes to the growth in Scotch Whisky exports to more than £6 billion in 2022,” he said.
Bairds Malt will need to procure around 74,000 tonnes of barley
“A strong supply chain is an essential partner in helping us grow and to achieve our sustainability and climate change ambitions. It is great to see an example of this strength and commitment in the expansion of Bairds’ malting facilities in Scotland.”
Environmental footprint has been key during the design of the Inverness expansion, with an Advanced Membrane Bioreactor and Reverse Osmosis Plant (AMBR & RO) installed to ensure water consumption is sustainable.
It has the capacity to produce sufficient additional water for the expansion without generating any additional effluent volumes from the site.
The company says it expects to reach full production capacity in April with commercial production ramping up through the end of March.
Conversation