Celtic Renewables, a clean energy spin-out of Edinburgh Napier University, has won an award at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership’s annual Low Carbon Champions ceremony. The company took home the award in the category of Low Carbon Innovation by an SME.

The awards ceremony was held at a gala dinner in Milton Keynes, with actor and electric vehicles enthusiast Robert Llewellyn as the master of ceremonies. As a recipient of an award, the company now qualifies for a nomination at the bi-annual European Business Awards for the Environment.

The company’s concept produces biobutanol from whisky waste known as draff – the spent grains – and pot ale – the liquid residue from copper stills. The process is based on research conducted at Edinburgh Napier’s Biofuel Research Centre. Celtic Renewables has been working with Tullibardine distillery to commercialise the process, and signed an agreement with Bio Base Europe’s pilot plant in Ghent in June 2014.

Martin Tangney, director at the Biofuel Research Centre as well as founder and president at Celtic Renewables, said: “It is a tremendous honour and fantastic endorsement to win an award from the automotive sector. The research and innovation underpinning the company has been widely recognised and reflects the strong applied focus of research at Edinburgh Napier, but this award shows our technology has genuine commercial appeal and that the market is both ready and waiting for sustainable biobutanol as an alternative to petrol and diesel.”