The Times reported at the weekend that Bruichladdich is to become self-sufficient in electricity. The piece, like with most green agenda topics, was rather sexed up in that Alistair Campbell way.

In a project that we have working on for over three years, we are to began an experiment with a biogas reactor in March.  Our pot ale, the warm water, dead yeast and distilling residues will be treated by aerobic microorganisms in a tank - the 'reactor' - to decompose the organic matter in the pot ale and produce biogas. This in turn can be combusted in a small generator to create electricity. Initial calculations indicate that around 80% of our requirements could be supplied by this experiment.

Should it prove successful and depending on future distillation volumes (we are now at 800,000 OLAS retained exclusively for Bruichladdich single malt - we don't do filling contracts for blended whisky) we may require two reactors.

While we are not setting out to save the planet single-handedly, we have spoken to many consultants on various green solutions. On paper there many great concepts, some totally hair-brained, and a worryingly large number of overly enthusiastic, but well intentioned exponents, and some out-andout shysters. The trouble is most of them are a complete waste of time and money with no practical value whatsoever. 

If the amount of naive pie-in-the-sky hot air could be converted together with the volume of government waste of money on parasitic consultants could be converted into biogas the country would be entirely self sufficient in energy.

In the past, seaside distilleries piped the pot ale in to the sea. Under environmental pressure a decade ago, this was forbidden as a potential threat to the biodiversity of the loch. Now, the pot ale is tankered away daily to Coal Ila where it is poured down a pipeline that expels it under the fast flowing sound of Islay.

In one of those delicious paradoxes, the biodiversity of the loch has indeed suffered after a century of organically rich, warm water being expelled in to it had been stopped by the environment protection agency themselves.

So this method will provide us with a purity of water that even a SEPA official would be pleased to drink, a reduction in tankering costs and associated environmental issues, while reducing our electricity bill to nigh on zero in a reliable, minimal maintenance unit, with a pay back time on investment of three years.

Sounds too good to be true?  We'll let you know at the end of March.