Jackson Distillers is the latest company, and the first Scotch whisky distillery to join Scotland’s Green Investment Portfolio. The project based in St Boswells in the Scottish Borders aims to be Scotland’s first carbon neutral grain whisky distillery.
Planning permission for the construction of the £50m distillery was granted in 2021, and fundraising for the project is due to complete by the end of 2022.
The distillery will source grain from local farms to provide the Scotch whisky industry with high quality spirit for blending, as well as producing neutral spirit for gin production.
In addition to reducing carbon miles for its grain, Jackson Distillers has designed a state-of-the art plant with a vision of being the most resource-efficient producer of grain spirit in Scotland. The St Boswell’s Distillery will use around a quarter of the water normally required for production, and waste product will be converted into energy through the natural ‘anaerobic digestion’ process.
The development will also create 20 permanent high-value jobs and more than 200 jobs on-site through the construction phase, developing skills and training opportunities locally and generating significant economic value for the Scottish Borders. The project has also been supported by South of Scotland Enterprise as a transformational project for the Scottish Borders and South of Scotland.
Trevor Jackson, Founder & CEO of Jackson Distillers, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to join Scotland’s Green investment portfolio, an elite group of innovative businesses who share our ambition of a low carbon future. I am particularly excited about working with Scottish Development International (SDI) and South of Scotland Enterprise to make this opportunity for the Scottish Borders a reality.
With planning permission now in place, Jackson Distillers have created a highly competitive ‘market ready’ investment which will provide a crucial ongoing contribution to the local rural economy”.
Led by the Scottish Government and supported by SDI, the international arm of Scottish Enterprise, the Green Investment Portfolio contains more than £1 billion of low carbon, eco-friendly and recycling projects that are seeking private capital.
Mark Hallan, Director of Global Investment at Scottish Development International, said: “The Green Investment Portfolio highlights significant, market-ready, investment opportunities that will help Scotland transition to a net zero economy by 2045.
“This ample portfolio of assets has been significantly enhanced by the addition of Jackson Distillers’ innovative new grain whisky distillery. This will also be the first of our Green Investment Portfolio projects to be based in the Scottish Borders, demonstrating that private capital investment opportunities exist the length and breadth of Scotland.”
Dr Martin Valenti Director for Net Zero at South of Scotland Enterprise said “At a time when many businesses are struggling to cope with energy bills it is especially exciting to be supporting Trevor Jackson and his team build their inspiring vision for a carbon neutral grain distillery. Building a business that works in harmony with the environment and nature will deliver multiple benefits including the opportunity to create unique and exciting sustainable branded whiskies but also make the plant fit for the future protecting it against future energy challenges”
Scotch whisky accounts for 75% of Scottish food and drink exports, providing £5.5bn in gross value to the UK economy. The addition of the planned distillery in St Boswells will make a significant contribution to the Scotch Whisky Association’s sustainability strategy plan for the industry of achieving Net Zero emissions by 2040.
ENDS
For further information and imagery of the proposed distillery, contact:
Imagery: Renders of the St Boswells Distillery can be downloaded here.
Lucy Laidlaw
Lucy Laidlaw Communication
07834228951
Visit www. https://jacksondistillers.co.uk/
NOTE TO EDITORS:
The Scottish Green Investment Portfolio was announced by the Scottish Government in October 2019, and is set to inject over £3 billion to help Scotland to achieve its’ ambitious environmental goals.
The distillery at St Boswells will join a range of projects being backed including a modern £250 million hydrogen infrastructure development project in Aberdeen, a £3 million plastic recycling project in Perthshire, and a network of public charge-points for electric vehicles across Scotland.
Utilising both public and private sector funding, the Scottish Government hope that this investment will assist in achieving their 2045 net-zero target as well as providing benefit to both investors and the projects themselves.
About Jackson Distillers
Jackson Distillers’ St. Boswells Distillery, based at Charlesfield Industrial Estate in the Scottish Borders, will be Scotland’s lowest carbon grain Distillery, adding value to locally grown cereals, using up to date distilling technology, adding to the circular economy, reducing carbon emissions and maximising recycling with zero waste to landfill.
It will produce 20 million litres of pure alcohol a year to meet the growing demand for grain whisky for use in Scotch Whisky blending and a Scottish grain neutral spirit for gin and vodka.
The development near St Boswells will create 20 permanent high-value jobs and more than 200 jobs on-site through the construction phase, developing skills and training opportunities locally and generating significant economic value for the Scottish Borders.
The site will take high-quality local cereals from the Tweed valley and process them efficiently and sustainably with renewable energy into high-quality spirit. The cereals, once spent, will be passed to the adjacent anaerobic digestion plant, where they will be converted into methane, with the remaining material being used as soil conditioner for crops. In addition, process water from an on-site borehole will be efficiently recycled to minimise the use of this important resource.
The cereals will be tracked from the seedbed to the still and beyond so that the customer can be confident of the provenance of the spirit.
Trevor Jackson Biography
Trevor Jackson is the CEO of Jackson Distillers Ltd. He is also the owner of Charlesfield Farms and Estate and has led multiple successful business ventures in the residential and commercial property sectors. He is Chair of South-East of Scotland Scottish Land & Estates group, sits on the South of Scotland Regional Economic Partnership, and is a former President of Melrose Rugby Club.
