苏格兰一家公司用酿酒副产品转化为汽车燃料

虽然酒后不能开车，但是酿酒副产品却能转化为汽车燃料。苏格兰一家生物科技公司运用威士忌酿造过程中留下的麦渣和酒糟生产出了可持续的新燃料，让酒和车这对冤家也可以愉快地合作。

 

A Scottish biotech company has found a way of turning on its head the adage¹ that drinking and driving should never mix – by developing a fuel for cars that uses the by-products of whisky-making.

饮酒和驾车不能并行，但是苏格兰一家生物科技公司却颠覆了这句格言，用酿造威士忌酒的副产品为汽车研发出了一种新燃料。

 

Scotland's national tipple² comprises barley³, yeast⁴ and water, and the manufacturing process leaves behind spent grains, known as draff, and a sugary liquid called pot ale.

苏格兰威士忌的原料包括大麦、酵母和水，酿造过程中会留下大麦残渣和酒糟。

 

This waste is often used as an animal feed or even pumped into the sea, but it can also be converted to produce acetone, butanol and ethanol - chemicals used in everything from fuel and food production to medicine and cosmetics⁵.

这些废料通常被用作动物饲料或倾倒入海洋，但是也可以转化为丙酮、丁醇和乙醇，这些化学物质可以用于生产燃料、食品、药品、以及化妆品等各类东西。

 

"We can take residues⁶ from industries such as the whisky industry and convert them into high-value products, namely butanol, which is actually being used to power this car," company owner Martin Tangney said.

公司老板马丁·坦尼说：“我们可以将威士忌酿造业等产业的废料转化为高价值产品，比如能给汽车提供动力的丁醇。”

 

"We bring sustainability to an iconic industry."

他说：“我们让一个标志性产业的发展有了可持续性。”

 

The company's demonstration⁷ plant in Grangemouth can produce 1 million litres of sustainable biochemicals from 50,000 tons of draff and pot ale and other raw materials.

该公司位于格兰杰默斯的示范工厂可以用5万吨麦渣、酒糟和其他原材料生产出100万公升可持续生化制品。

 

It plans to build five large-scale refineries⁸ worldwide in the next five years, and is calling for backing from governments and other investors⁹.

未来五年该公司计划在世界各地建造5家大型提炼厂，并希望得到各国政府和其他投资商的支持。

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