By Cheryl Wood

A FIFE factory is to become one of Scotland’s greenest when it begins generating all its own energy from oat husks.

Quaker, which produces Scott’s Porage Oats at its Uthrogle Mills plant near Cupar, is to invest £6 million in a combined heat and power biomass boiler which will make it carbon neutral.

The groundbreaking plans will allow oat husks—the part of the oat left over from porridge making—to generate renewable power for the entire site.

The new boiler, which is the centrepiece of plans still under development, will be around five times more expensive than a conventional fossil fuel boiler.

But Pepsi-Co, which owns Quaker, said the steam and electricity produced would reduce carbon emissions by 9000 tonnes a year—equivalent to the typical annual carbon emissions of 3000 cars.

Surplus power will be released to the National Grid, preventing a further 1800 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually for the first three years.

The move will also cut out the need for transporting husks away from the site, which accounts for 172,000 miles and 600 tonnes of carbon emissions a year.

Head of the Cupar Quaker plant Simon Ely said the proposals promised to drastically reduce the carbon footprint of the factory where around 180 people are employed.

“We think this project is very exciting as it will mean that none of the energy stored in our oats is wasted.

“Everyone knows that porridge is a great source of energy for our bodies. Now we’re planning to use the oat husks to power our Quaker facility.”

He also said the firm would be consulting employees and neighbours on its plans.

“This will include seeking views on the best use of environmental technologies and ways they could provide spin-off benefits to other Fife businesses.”

The move was praised by the Carbon Trust, which promotes a low-carbon economy in the UK.

Solutions director Hugh Jones said, “Every service or product we purchase has an impact on climate change and it is clear that consumers and businesses, such as PepsiCo, are taking action to reduce these carbon emissions.

“This innovative approach by Quaker to cut carbon emissions through investment in new low carbon technology will be a powerful signal to other businesses that reducing carbon emissions and looking for sustainable energy sources makes business sense.”

Local MP Sir Menzies Campbell was equally impressed.

He said, “I regularly meet the management and staff at Quaker’s Fife facility.

“I enthusiastically support their efforts to make the Cupar plant a global leader in the environmental debate.

“Using the oat husks to generate energy is a wonderful idea.”

Quaker is also expanding at Cupar by investing in a third kiln to meet massive demand for its products in Europe and the Middle East.