Speyside Renewable Energy Partnership Biomass Heat and Energy Plant, Craigellachie Home About us Plans and maps Timetable FAQ News Contact Links Low carbon energy tackles climate change Speyside Renewable Energy Partnership Ltd was established to build a biomass Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant to provide heat to the Macallan whisky distillery in Speyside and low carbon electricity to the grid. The site will cover about 12 acres, in a 100-acre commercial forestry plantation ¾ mile (1.2 km) north west of Craigellachie and around ½ mile (800 metres) from the Macallan distillery. The plant will use clean, low-grade wood harvested within an average radius of 50 miles (80km) and will generate up to 15 MWe of electricity (enough to power 20,000 homes) as well as steam that will be supplied to the distillery to provide heat for the whisky making process. Local benefits The project represents an inward investment of £60 million to the local area and will boost the local economy by creating:- Up to 40 new local jobs, including 20 permanent jobs at the plant and a further 20 jobs in the supply chain. Up to 100 jobs during the construction period. A better market for low-grade wood, which will help local forestry growers by supporting the production of higher-grade wood making local forestry and woodland management more economic. A more cost-effective, reliable and sustainable source of energy for The Macallan distillery. Local scale biomass plants like this one are good sources of low carbon energy, so their benefits extend well beyond the local sphere. They can help tackle climate change by reducing CO2 emissions. By using locally sourced and sustainable wood fuel they reduce our reliance on imported fossil fuels and create a more secure energy supply. Timeline Autumn: Clearing and grading the site and access road. See full timetable Copyright © 2014 Speyside Renewable Energy Partnership Ltd