Simpsons Malt Ltd, operator of the UK’s largest malting site, announced today the successful expansion of its Tweed Valley Maltings in Berwick-upon-Tweed with the commissioning of a tenth germination and kilning vessel (GKV) and the completion of a new peated malt production facility. The two projects are part of a combined GBP 16 million (USD 20 million) investment to increase malt output and improve sustainability.
The new GKV, operational since late 2024, boosts annual malt production by up to 15,000 tonnes, bringing total capacity at the site to 260,000 tonnes. Around 90% of this output is supplied to the distilling industry. The 400-tonne batch capacity GKV complements nine others already in operation. Groundwork for the project began in May 2023.
Energy for the kilning process is supplied by an adjacent Energy Centre, developed with AMP Clean Energy. It features three 6MW biomass boilers and one 12MW electric boiler powered by curtailed wind energy. This setup reduces carbon emissions from kilning by 90%, lowering Scope 1 and 2 emissions by up to 80% at the site and up to 55% company-wide.
Additionally, Simpsons Malt invested GBP 6 million (USD 7.5 million) in a peated malt production facility with an annual capacity of 25,000 tonnes. The plant features custom-built systems to precisely adjust phenol levels to client needs and includes air centrifuge abatement technology that reduces particulate emissions by up to 90%.
Tim McCreath, Managing Director of Simpsons Malt, underlined the importance of continuous investment: “Investing regularly in our infrastructure is a key strategic and operational priority of our fifth-generation, family business.” In recent months, the company has hosted numerous distillers at the site to view the GKV, the peated malt plant, the Energy Centre, and ten newly built malt storage silos.
