Highland Scotch whisky firms test hydrogen to cut emissions as broader hydrogen hopes fade

Highland Scotch whisky distillers like Arbikie are exploring hydrogen fuel to reduce production emissions, even as broader expectations for hydrogen as a universal decarbonization tool have cooled. Industry leaders now see hydrogen playing a more limited but still important role, particularly for high-temperature industrial processes and as a storage medium for excess wind power. The article notes that while early hype suggested hydrogen could decarbonize everything, reality has set in. Electrification is now seen as the primary path for many sectors. However, hydrogen still has strong use cases in whisky distilling, steel, ceramics, and shipping fuel. The story also touches on the potential for blue hydrogen linked to carbon capture and storage, such as the planned Acorn project in Scotland, and the challenge of green hydrogen requiring large amounts of subsidized electricity.