Shaun Caleb, the master distiller of Guyana-based Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), which produces El Dorado rum, spoke to SB about the company’s investment in sustainability.
Looking back at its early sustainability endeavours, DDL first installed a CO₂ purification plant back in 1986, which sequestered CO₂ produced in the company’s fermentation process and purified it to beverage grade, so that it could produce bottled products out of it.
Having installed a wastewater treatment plant in 2010 when it expanded its distillery and increased production – converting about two-thirds of wastewater to biogas, which then powered boilers to produce steam – the company has been working to establish a solar farm to further up its commitment to ensuring long-term sustainability.
Every aspect of DDL’s production requirements are generated in-house with its own wells. Furthermore, to be 100% reliable in its capability to generate its own power, the company has moved away from being completely dependent on diesel fuel, instead opting for a dual mixture of diesel and liquified natural gas.
Caleb calls liquified natural gas a “cleaner burning fuel” that emits about 20% less CO₂ and produces 4% less particulate matter.
Speaking on the company’s larger aspiration – to become solar – Caleb said: “We have partnered through the Inter American Development Bank to have a pre-feasibility and feasibility study done on developing a three megawatt solar farm, which can power our operations here.
“At the moment, we are identifying roof mounted sources because there are some areas where we can install the panels and some areas where we can’t, for example, our barrel ageing warehouses. Because of the presence of alcohol vapour through the angel’s share, there’s a species of fungus that grows, which becomes very difficult to control.
“Certainly if we are going to put a solar panel on the roof, we’ve got to keep away from those areas. And then there are other areas such as our beverage production facility, where we don’t have the similar presence of the angel shared alcohol vapours that would reduce the effectiveness of the solar panels, so in those areas we are going to mount the panels. This is very much a process for which we have done the feasibility. And we are now in the stage of planning for the execution.”
Carbon dioxide treatment plant
Continuing on, Caleb explained that the company is also extending its beverage product operations with the installation of two new labs, which will allow it to “significantly” increase fermentation capacity, for more rum, and also more CO₂.
To feed the increased carbonated beverage production, Calab explained that DDL is in the process of planning for the expansion of a carbon dioxide treatment plant.
To achieve conversation efficiency above the two-thirds number from the wastewater plan to above 90%, DDL has partnered with two companies, one from France and one from the US.
Describing the process, Caleb said the companies have helped develop specially configured polymers, which work to separate solids from liquids.
This is done through coagulation and flocculation. Caleb explained: “The process is called flocculation and coagulation and it essentially pulls dissolved solids as well as undissolved solids to form ‘flucs’. The flucs are coalesced to form larger coagulates, which can then be filtered out of the waste water.
“We find that that process would remove a lot of the un-digestible solids because while most of the water is digestible, a lot of the solids are not. And so by removing that out of the wastewater, the filtered waste that goes to the treatment plant is able to be more efficiently digested.
“The undigested solids that are removed by the polymers then have potential as their own value stream. For example, it can be used as fertiliser, and we are awaiting official analysis on the solid to determine what adjustments may be needed before its used in adding to soil for soil enrichment, or it can be used as component in animal feed, or course with a combination of other nutrients to provide the balance requirement to the animals [the cows on the distillery’s dairy farm].”
Caleb added: “I think in the next three years, sustainability at El Dorado will be very different from what it is today.”
Recently, The Spirts Business also spoke to Caleb about the idea if whether cask strength could “redefine” the rum category.
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Author: Rupert Hohwieler
