• Ecolab's Ecovation unit has designed and built the bourbon industry's first renewable energy whole stillage treatment solution at the Maker's Mark Distillery in Loretto, KY
LORETTO, KY, July 1, 2008 -- Ecolab Inc.'s Ecovation division announced the installation and startup of its proprietary whole stillage treatment solution in Loretto, KY. Ecovation, a leader in the development of value-driven waste stream treatment and renewable energy solutions, collaborated with Maker's Mark to design, build and operate the waste stream treatment system that will enable the Maker's Mark Distillery to significantly recycle its waste stream and generate renewable energy. The state-of-the art system is the first in the bourbon industry and will serve as a prototype for other distilleries.
"Ecovation is dedicated to working with clients to create focused solutions that are both environmentally sensitive and cost effective," said Diane C. Creel, Ecovation Sr. Vice President & General Manager. "Together, Ecovation and the Maker's Mark Distillery have developed a new, sustainable model for whole stillage management involving our proprietary Mobilized Film Technology. Ecovation's ability to produce this kind of long-term solution is what makes the company different from others."
Traditionally, managing the co-products from the spirits manufacturing industry has been energy intensive and costly, often creating a bottleneck in the production process. Ecovation's waste stream solution will enable Maker's Mark to expand production capacity while significantly reducing dependence on natural gas. The new facility will anaerobically treat the liquid portion of the whole stillage and process waters produced during bourbon-making, generating methane-rich biogas, a renewable energy source, that will offset between 15% and 30% of the facility's natural gas consumption.
"For Maker's Mark, transitioning to Ecovation's waste stream treatment solution provides significant advantages over other options we considered," said Kevin Smith, Master Distiller and VP of Operations. "While our production capacity will increase, operation costs will decrease -- all through an environmentally-friendly technique. Ecovation has helped us better realize our strong beliefs in combining the best traditional methods for making bourbon with environmental stewardship and good business sense."
The Maker's Mark Distillery is dedicated to producing the finest bourbon in the world while reducing energy dependency and operating in an environmentally-friendly manner in a multitude of ways. The Distillery partakes in a Grain Management program, buying grain directly from local farmers, in addition to only using food-grade oil and lubricants throughout the plant. Additionally, Maker's Mark employees are an integral part of a recycling plan and work to ensure that as much glass, plastic, scrap wood, cardboard, label paper, light bulbs, batteries, spent oils and lubricants, and scrap metal as possible is recycled.
Occupying over 620 acres of land, the Maker's Mark Distillery only functions on less than 200 acres. The remaining land is operated as a nature preserve, where Maker's Mark houses its own Arboretum of Kentucky native species on-site.
Ecovation, a division of Ecolab Inc., provides value-driven, sustainable solutions to meet the wastewater management and renewable energy needs of industrial clients.
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