Chase to create vodka petrol
The Herefordshire-based creator of Chase Vodka is developing petroleum made from the wastage of his potato-based vodka. William Chase believes that the leftovers from his vodka distillery could be used to make a high-grade vehicle fuel.
Chase’s vodka claims to be the only English potato-based vodka in the world.
Chase says he hopes to use the fluid left behind in the coppers following the vodka’s distilling process.
He said: “There has been research completed at Edinburgh Napier University that has demonstrated that ‘pot ale’ (the fluids left behind from the distilling process) can be fermented into biobutanol. I don’t see why we can’t do the same in Herefordshire.”
Biobutanol is believed to be the next generation of biofuel. It gives internal combustion engines 30 per cent more output power than ethanol. And more importantly it can fuel ordinary cars without the need for expensive adaptations to the engine.
He added: “We would need local partners to create enough biomass to make the project commercially viable, but I firmly believe that vegetable matter will provide the world with the next generation of fuels.”
Chase also created Tyrrells Crisps.
McCain, the UK’s largest potato processor, and Heinz are both believed to be exploring the use of potato peel as a source of biofuel.
