‘This is just the start’: Glen Wyvis distillery uses renewable energy to keep costs down – to benefit community causes

By Ross Hempseed

February 1 2023, 6:00 am

Glen Wyvis distillery opened in 2017. Image: Glen Wyvis.

A Ross-shire distillery is using renewable energy to battle rising costs – allowing profits to go towards good causes.

Glen Wyvis Distillery opened in 2017 and focuses on sustainable production, using a wind turbine and biomass boiler to power the stills.

It used less electricity than others, deliberately keeping production output low to just 8,000 bottles last year.

Despite this – and the rising running costs of all businesses – the distillery is dedicated to its GoodWill Fund, putting 5% of sales profits aside for local causes in Ross-Shire.

Now applications for the first round of funding have opened – with groups across the area encouraged to apply for a share of £10,000.

Bosses are also hoping their growing brand will allow them to tap into more export markets, expanding the fund even more.

Glen Wyvis distillery in Dingwall makes use of the landowners wind turbine to reduce their operation costs amid the cost of living crisis. Image: Glen Wyvis.

Community at heart for growing distillery

Marketing manager Lindi Konoso stressed Glen Wyvis is very much a “community-led” operation.

Since its launch, the distillery has generated interest from the community and has more more than 3,600 shareholders.

The GoodWill Fund aims to address three key areas, education, culture and entrepreneurship, and plans are afoot to expand to projects in Inverness-shire in 2024.

Ms Konoso said the scheme is “very important” to show that the business cares about the community and wants to give back.

She said: “There’s a new market of whisky drinkers, so we’ve not just got the traditional demographic who are whisky drinkers, but people who are more environmentally conscious and they want to know their malts are coming from a local place.”

Applications are now open for the first funding round of £10,000 – with two other rounds available later this year.

Groups across Ross-shire have until March 3 to apply for funding that would support the educational needs of their communities, promote the culture and history of their area or encourage economic activity.

Jock Ramsey, management committee member for the GoodWill Fund, said: “This is a significant step forward for the GlenWyvis Community Benefit Society as we are now able to start giving something back to the community through the GoodWill Fund – something we have been working towards since GlenWyvis Distillery was created.”

Green energy powering distillery

The distillery prides itself on its green ethos which has helped counteract rising costs, explained manager Matthew Farmer.

He said: “Although not completely immune from rising energy costs, the most tangible impact has been simply that our energy costs are tied directly to the investment in renewables and not a fluctuating tariff.

“The energy generated on-site costs exactly the same as it did last year. Biomass and woodchip still suffer from increased costs and transport, but far less so than oil or gas.

“In general, although our costs have increased across the board, renewable energy has acted as something of a buffer between us and the wider market, allowing us to prepare for price increases vs. seeing our bills triple overnight.”

Mr Farmer believes sustainability should be a “top priority” for those wanting to create a successful business or brand in the next decade.

“While certainly not easy, building a sustainable distillery plant is very much possible today in 2022, but the biggest challenge comes when you expand the scope to the whole supply chain,” he said.

“Farming and agriculture have its own challenges, and the malted barley required for whisky production is inherently energy heavy.”

Apply for funding

Any individuals, organisations or businesses interested in applying for the GoodWill Fund can find an application on the distillery’s website.

Each application will be considered by a sub-committee with oversight from the board.

Mr Ramsey added: “This first call for applications to the GoodWill Fund is just the start.

“Sales of Glen Wyvis four-year-old single malt whisky are going very well so we are now building up the GoodWill Fund for next year. I look forward to seeing how the GoodWill Fund will benefit educational, cultural and entrepreneurial initiatives in our community this year and well into the future.”