Exploring the Dairy Distillery Revolution: 

In the heart of eastern Ontario, Dairy Distillery, renowned for its innovative "Vodkow" spirit distilled from milk permeate, is spearheading a groundbreaking partnership. Collaborating with the Michigan Milk Producers Association, this Almonte-based distillery is set to revolutionize the landscape by converting milk permeate, a byproduct of dairy filtration, into an environmentally friendly ethanol fuel.

The process begins by fermenting milk permeate into a low-alcohol "wine" using yeast. This unique "wine" is then distilled into a potent ethanol alcohol, claimed to be the world's lowest carbon-intensity ethanol. The Michigan Milk Producers Association, faced with substantial waste permeate annually, approached Dairy Distillery to scale up this transformative process.

The Michigan plant, slated to commence ethanol production in early 2025, aims to offset a staggering 14,500 tons of carbon annually. By blending the produced ethanol with conventional transportation fuel, the organization envisions a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of the milk processing industry, aligning with the U.S. dairy industry's goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

While this venture appears promising for the dairy sector, sceptics like Heather McLeod-Kilmurray, an environmental law expert at the University of Ottawa, advocate cautious optimism. Acknowledging the opportunity to repurpose food waste into fuel, McLeod-Kilmurray urges vigilance against greenwashing and emphasizes the importance of transitioning to cleaner power innovations in the long run.

Dairy Distillery's CEO, Omid McDonald, remains optimistic about the venture's potential impact, expressing hope that its success in the U.S. will lead to similar initiatives in Canada. As the wheels of innovation turn, this collaborative effort between a Canadian distillery and U.S. dairy producers signals a promising stride towards a more sustainable and eco-conscious future in the distillation landscape.

Read the original article posted 7 June 2023 by CBC Ottawa reporter, Stu Mills, here.