Orkney is already at the forefront of the burgeoning gin industry in Scotland, with three award-winning producers based in the islands.
Now the Orkney Distillery could be set to have another unique selling point for its Kirkjuvagr Gin brand. The distillery is part of the new 'HySpirits' project, which will look into the possibility of using hydrogen as a fuel to decarbonise the distilling process.
If the feasibility study is successful, the Kirkwall-based business could soon be creating its gin range using hydrogen instead of liquid petroleum gas, making the whole process more environmentally friendly and becoming the world's first hydrogen-powered distillery at the same time. It's also hoped any positive findings could be rolled out across a number of different sectors.
The project, which is being led by the European Marine Energy Centre and also includes Edinburgh Napier University, has just been awarded nearly £150,000 of funding from the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
It's the latest example of Orkney's open-arms approach to renewable energy and reducing its carbon footprint. The islands have already tested more marine energy devices than anywhere else in the world, with plenty of other innovative projects planned in the future.
The Orkney Distillery began producing gin in its new home on Kirkwall's harbourfront in 2018. The range currently includes the signature Kirkjuvagr Gin along with Arkh-Angell, Aurora, Harpa and Beyla. Find out more about the distillery and its gins on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Digital Orkney project has been part financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community Orkney LEADER 2014-2020 Programme.