A Moray distillery has reiterated its opposition to a controversial hydrogen plant project despite fresh claims by its new owners that the project would help support the region’s world-renowned whisky industry.
Protium, which acquired the Marypark hydrogen plant proposal from Storegga earlier this year, has said the facility would play a key role in helping Moray’s distilleries transition away from fossil fuels using locally produced green hydrogen.
However, the distillery closest to the proposed development says its position has not changed.
Glenfarclas Distillery first objected to plans for the facility when they were submitted by low-carbon developer Storegga in 2025, arguing it was the proposed location, rather than hydrogen technology itself, that was the issue.
Following the sale of Storegga’s green hydrogen portfolio to Protium earlier this year, the new owners have confirmed they intend to revisit the Marypark project despite it previously being refused by Moray Council.
In a statement sent to The Northern Scot, Protium said its “clear mission” is to help Moray’s world-renowned industries, including the whisky sector, transition away from fossil fuels through clean, locally produced green hydrogen.
The company argued that locating production close to existing renewable energy generation and local industrial demand was essential, adding that moving the facility to coastal brownfield sites, as suggested by campaigners, would require additional infrastructure that could undermine the project’s decarbonisation benefits.
While Glenfarclas did not provide a fresh statement, distillery manager Callum Fraser told The Northern Scot that the distillery’s stance remains unchanged.
When the application was originally submitted, Mr Fraser stressed that Glenfarclas was “not against green energy” but believed the Marypark site was unsuitable.
Among the distillery’s concerns were the proposed abstraction of water linked to the River Spey at a time when water shortages have increasingly affected production during dry periods.
The distillery also raised questions over the proximity of the proposed hydrogen facility to its own operations, including potential COMAH (Control of Major Accident Hazards) implications, as well as concerns about increased heavy goods traffic on the A95.
Those objections mirrored wider concerns raised by local campaign group Friends of Speyside, which has argued the development could pose risks to the River Spey and should instead be located on a coastal brownfield site.
Protium has insisted that technical studies show the plant’s water requirements would be modest, tightly regulated and would not compromise river health, local water supplies or aquatic life.
The company has also pledged to review the previous proposal and incorporate lessons from its existing hydrogen plants to ensure the project is “fit for the right location”, while committing to continued engagement with the local community, environmental bodies and elected representatives.
