Iberdrola, though its subsidiary ScottishPower, has teamed up with some of the UK's main distilleries and spirits companies and the Port of Cromarty Firth to launch a green hydrogen project in the Highlands. The result will allow the whisky and spirit production industry in Scotland to develop this technology and fight climate change.

The North of Scotland Hydrogen Scheme will create a hub in the Cromarty Firth to produce, store and distribute renewable hydrogen to the region and other parts of the UK and Europe.

One of the leading projects, whose feasibility study will be released in May, will supply Scottish distilleries with renewable hydrogen. The scheme will be funded by ScottishPower and drinks giants Glenmorangie, Whyte & Mackay and Diageo in collaboration with energy company Pale Blue Dot.

They will produce electricity with electrolyzers powered by 100% clean energy from existing and future offshore and onshore wind farms along the Cromarty Firth coast.

This supply of green hydrogen will enable Glenmorangie, Whyte & Mackay and Diageo to decarbonize heat production in their distilleries and malting plants close to the Cromarty Firth, replacing fossil fuels with hydrogen to produce the steam required for distilling.

The scheme will boost climate neutrality and decarbonization in Scotland, which has set its sights on becoming the industry's world leader when it comes to green hydrogen.

The project furthers these companies' strategies and actions by allowing them to work together on a competitive technology to supply green hydrogen to the distillery industry and to public services such as ports, while decarbonizing their operations. According to Iberdrola, there are many opportunities in the Highlands for decarbonizing industry, transport and the heating and refrigeration sectors and to export green energy to other parts of the UK and continental Europe.

In addition to these plans, Iberdrola subsidiary ScottishPower has also come to an agreement with Global Energy Group to work together to identify processes and businesses suitable for green hydrogen technology at its Port of Nigg facilities.

The green hydrogen generated at the Port of Nigg will be used to power installations, heavy machinery and vehicles used routinely on the site, and to fuel heavy-consuming high-temperature processes such as offshore wind farm component manufacturing.