A lot of my evenings are powered by whisky, but new research suggests that the good stuff could actually be used to power something a little more powerful than my social skills… like a car.
Earlier this month researchers were able to hold the first successful test run of a car running on biofuel that was made from whisky. The fuel is made from barley kernels left over after fermentation, and can be used as a replacement for traditional fuel.
A BBC reporter was behind the wheel for one of the car’s first journeys and said that she didn’t notice any difference in the car’s performance using the booze-inspired fuel instead of traditional gasoline or diesel.
The solution was created by Celtic Renewables Ltd., a spinout from Edinburgh Napier University.
What they’re using to make the fuel is stuff that’s unusable by distillers, so they’re essentially using waste to create something usable.
“It is fitting to do this historic drive in Scotland, which is famous not just for its world-renowned whisky but also for being a powerhouse for renewable energy,” Celtic Renewables founder and president Prof Martin Tangney told the BBC.
Once the group has perfected its whisky biofuel it plans to bring the technology to other places as well, including the United States, Japan, and India where whisky-making is prevalent.