In the UK, Fuel Cells Works reported that Suntory Global Spirits has officially abandoned its green hydrogen project at the Auchentoshan Distillery in Dalmuir, Scotland, following an unsuccessful bid for UK government funding under the Hydrogen Allocation Round 2 (HAR2) decarbonization fund. The report noted that the company had partnered with Japanese trading giant Marubeni to develop the facility, which aimed to decarbonize whisky production by integrating hydrogen as a fuel source. Suntory’s hydrogen distillery plan was first unveiled in August 2024, building on the success of a 100% hydrogen direct-fired distillation trial at its Yamazaki Distillery in Japan earlier that year. The project had sought to replicate this achievement in Scotland, aligning with the UK’s 2050 net zero targets and a national goal of achieving 10 gigawatts of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030. “Whilst Suntory Global Spirits and Marubeni are disappointed in this outcome, we would like to thank our local community again for their input and feedback during our community consultation events, as well as members of the Community Councils and West Dunbartonshire Council,” the company said.
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