AN ARTISAN, family-run gin distillery near Keith, Moray is using blockchain technology to be clear about the amount, quality, and provenance of the water used in its spirit production.
Roehill Springs is using the system – which essentially acts as a digital ledger – in what is believed to be among the first direct uses of sensor data with a blockchain.
The system was developed by CENSIS – Scotland’s innovation centre for sensing, imaging, and Internet of Things technologies – and Aberdeen-based app developer TrackGenesis.
The project is part of the CENSIS Internet of Things (IoT) Evolve programme, funded by the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
The programme is aimed to support the development of IoT technologies by companies across the north of Scotland.
Roehill Springs is committed to using local ingredients, offering transparency to its customers, and being environmentally responsible.
The business will combine the automation potential of IoT with the traceability and security provided by blockchain technology.
In discussions with CENSIS, the team identified this as the best way of ensuring full transparency for customers.
IoT sensor-based flow meters have been installed at the spring on the family farm and at its distillery.
The data they produce is sent to a smartphone and tablet application via Bluetooth.
The data from each flow meter is transferred to the private blockchain where it is held.
It can then be accessed by customers through a QR code printed on each bottle of Roehill Springs gin, alongside information about the bottle’s other ingredients.
The system means there is complete accuracy and transparency – customers can be confident that water used in Roehill gin is high quality and sustainably sourced.
The blockchain is tamper-proof and immutable, and removes the time, errors, and cost of manual data entry, while helping the distillery track and reduce its water usage.
Roehill Springs is now looking at other ways blockchain might be used to make its business even more transparent for customers, such as energy monitoring.
Duncan Morrison, co-owner of Roehill Springs Distillery, said: “We pride ourselves on the quality and provenance of our ingredients.
“When we realised the potential blockchain offered in combination with IoT, we felt it was the right way forward for enhancing the transparency of what we do.
“We are looking at other ways the technology can be used to support our aims of being completely open with our customers about the products they consume.
Ally Longmuir, business development manager at CENSIS, said: “The system we have developed is one of the first to take data from sensors and put it directly into a blockchain.
“It also provides state-of-the-art security and traceability, meaning you can have complete confidence in the data being captured.
“It is a great use of these technologies in combination to increase transparency…and drive efficiency within the business.
“We look forward to seeing Roehill Springs roll out the technology even further and hope it inspires other businesses to explore how they might be used in their own operations.”
Scottish Government Minister for Small Business, Innovation, Tourism and Trade, Richard Lochhead, also praised the system.
Richard said: “This innovative technology exploits the potential of Internet of Things, the proliferation of products connected to the internet, to speed up and automate tasks.
“It adopts the traceability and security provided by blockchain technology to ensure full transparency for customers.
“Roehill Springs can use these insights to drive efficiency within the business and support sustainability by tracking and reducing the amount of water used.
“Realising the full benefits of the digital and data economy using technology is fundamental to our National Strategy for Economic Transformation.
“It is a critical part of our plans for a fair, green and sustainably growing economy.”
