Jura Distillery trials green building repairs

Jura Distillery is set to become the first building in the country to trial an innovative self-repairing limewash, as part of its commitment to sustainability within the spirits industry.

Developed by the University of Hertfordshire and bio-based construction company UK Hempcrete, the new coating aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the distillery.

The solution increases a building surface’s absorption of CO₂, with the project serving as a prototype for a potential solution in building conservation.

The initiative forms part of The Green Print, a roadmap to net zero created by the wider Whyte and Mackay whisky house, which lays out the sustainable future for the maker’s.

Jura is set to celebrate its 60^th anniversary in April. Distillery manager Jamie Muir commented: “The Isle of Jura is beautiful place to make Scotch Whisky, but it is not necessarily the easiest place be a whisky maker. 

“When we created The Green Print, we laid out our commitment to make a positive impact on the local community where we make our whisky. This partnership with our friends at UK Hempcrete and the University of Hertfordshire will deliver a pilot which we believe could make a positive impact across the Scotch Whisky industry and beyond.” 

UK Hempcrete’s managing director Alex Sparrow added: “This collaboration with the University of Hertfordshire and Whyte and Mackay is a perfect fit for UK Hempcrete. 

“This is an opportunity to develop an innovative new low-carbon product alongside the development of primary research at the university, and simultaneously see its application in a real world context. This fits exactly with our ethos of improving the technical performance of buildings in the real world, whilst lowering their carbon footprint.”

10 March 2023 - Bradley Weir