Ice Cream: Scotland’s Latest Renewable Win?

When we think about the fight against climate change, we typically think about electric vehicles, reducing emissions from coal, putting pressure on Big Oil to go green, or the tech giants leading the renewable revolution. What we don’t often acknowledge, however, is the smaller industries also doing their part. Take, Mackie’s, for example. It’s a beloved ice cream producer in the United Kingdom, and it’s on a fast track towards being completely carbon-free.

Scotland’s Mackie’s just announced that it began the installation of its $5 million new refrigeration system that will keep its ice cream frozen using HCFC gases with power efficient units run on natural refrigerant gas ammonia, or in layman’s terms, a completely sustainable form of biomass energy.

The finance director of the company, Gerry Stephens, explained, “Our ultimate aim is to one day go completely off-grid and use 100% renewable energy. This is an important step towards realising these green ambitions,” adding “we hope that our new system will set a precedent and make the energy-intensive food and drink sector more sustainable."

This new addition to Mackie’s new refrigeration system, the company also produces 10 million liters of ice cream per year using more than 70 percent renewable energy.

Scotland: A Leader In Renewables

While Mackie’s is doing its part to reduce its carbon footprint, it’s home, Scotland has become a shining example of renewable standards.

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The Scottish government plans to generate 100 percent of its electricity through the use of renewables in 2020. And in 2019 alone, its renewable capacity accounted for as much as 25 percent of all of the United Kingdom’s renewable generation.

Scotland’s resource base for renewable generation is astounding by any standards. While sunshine may not be abundant, it has plenty of wind, waves and tides to make up for it.

And the Scottish people are all for the shift towards renewables, as well. There is even a fleet of vehicles powered by residual vegetable oils from the country’s infamous fish and chip shops.

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com

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