Infrastructure group wins major contract with Highland distillery

Infrastructure group Fulcrum, based in Sheffield, has won a contract to deliver a new gas pipeline to the Scottish Highlands to support one of the region’s leading whisky distillers.

The £1.1m contract, secured with Chivas Brothers, will connect a 7.7km medium pressure pipe from Dufftown to the Allt-a-Bhainne distillery to bring in a continual, year-round gas supply to the facility.

The new infrastructure will involve passing the pipeline through multiple terrains – under bridges, within highway verges and alongside waterways. Work on the project has begun and is expected to be completed before the end of the year.

This is the third significant utility infrastructure project that Fulcrum will deliver on behalf of distillers in the Highlands. It follows the most recent £4m contract to install a 13km pipeline to link Scotland’s main gas network to Chivas Brothers’ Dalmunach distillery, as well as the Tamdhu, Cardhu and Knockando distilleries in Speyside, which was completed a month ahead of schedule.
In 2014, the company also completed a 16-mile pipeline connecting four other distilleries.

The Allt-a-Bhainne distillery, situated on the slopes of Ben Rinnes, produces high-quality spirit for use in Chivas Brothers’ blended Scotch whisky portfolio.

Martin Donnachie, chief executive of Fulcrum, said: “We are incredibly proud to again be involved in such a prestigious and significant project. Our team of engineers are dedicated to delivering complex infrastructure projects, which in this case allows this distillery to adopt a more sustainable energy supply. Instead of having to rely on fuel oil delivered by large road tankers, the distillery can reduce its carbon footprint and access the gas supply. This project also further demonstrates the role we play to the UK’s utilities, and the trust the industry has given to Fulcrum.”

Gordon Buist, production director for Chivas Brothers, added: “This is the third gas pipeline project we’ve been involved in with Fulcrum. We look forward to the benefits this latest expansion will bring to Allt-a-Bhainne and the surrounding area. We take our environmental performance very seriously and projects such as this, which help reduce our carbon footprint, are always front of mind. We are continuously investing in our Scottish operations to reduce our environmental footprint.”