Energy minister urged to visit Wick distillery to find out about heat scheme
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Jamie Stone has urged a UK government minister to visit Pulteney Distillery to find out about its central role in Wick's district heating scheme.
He said it would be a chance to learn about the "inner warmth" provided by the famous Old Pulteney whisky and the "outer warmth" enjoyed by local householders through affordable heating and hot water.
In a debate on Heating Rural Homes in parliament, the Liberal Democrat MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross described the Wick system as "an imaginative solution". Mr Stone asked Amanda Solloway, parliamentary under-secretary of state for energy security and net-zero, to go and see it for herself.
A sustainable energy centre owned by Ignis Wick Ltd provides heating and hot water to around 200 homes in the Pulteneytown area, Caithness General Hospital and the Assembly Rooms as well as supplying steam to the adjacent distillery.
The system was converted from burning oil to using locally sourced wood chip, with the heat distributed through a network of underground pipes. Savings for customers have been described as "immense" compared with gas and oil.
During this week's debate, Mr Stone said: "In Wick we have a distillery called Old Pulteney. It is an excellent whisky, but that is not the subject of this intervention.
"Old Pulteney helps to heat at least 200 houses in Wick, as well as Caithness General Hospital. It is an imaginative solution, so I suggest that the minister looks at how that is done, takes herself on a tour of other distilleries that are not doing the same, and samples their wares for inner warmth, but also sees how they can contribute to outer warmth."
Ms Solloway replied: "I confess to being a whisky drinker, so I feel a visit coming on, but that might not be allowed. Of course, I will look into that.
"Transitioning rural, off-grid properties to low-carbon heat will help to move us off imported oil and build energy independence, help protect consumers from high and volatile energy bills, and keep us on track for net-zero."
Mr Stone said later: "Some may raise their eyebrows at my keen interest in whisky distilleries, but it really is because of how much of a role they can play in our local community. Rural areas face their own unique difficulties and often the solutions can be rather innovative, if a little unconventional.
"Old Pulteney sets the standard when it comes to giving back. From sponsoring the Wick gala to providing heating for over 200 homes and Caithness General Hospital, it is playing a significant role in propping up both the community and the economy.
"I hope that the government will take the initiative to listen and learn from projects such as this so that nobody ever has to make the impossible choice between heating and eating again."
