The Campari Group Seeks Greener Rum Production With $79M Investment

(Photo: J. Wray & Nephew Limited)

The Campari Group has recently invested US$79.1 million into Jamaica’s leading rum manufacturer, J. Wray & Nephew Limited (JWN) to improve its Dunder Treatment Plant along with adding a new column still at its New Yarmouth Distillery in Clarendon, Jamaica. The Campari Group owns several other notable alcohol brands including Appleton Estate rum, Skyy Vodka, Espolon Tequila and Wild Turkey. 

All rum is made from sugarcane or its by-products and this crop is a major contributor to runoff and CO2 pollution with the burning of crop fields before and after harvests. Any steps a distillery takes to minimize this pollution either by working with farmers or by producing its own sugar are steps in the right direction. Rum can be a sustainable product but only if companies are willing to invest in a greener future, 

The investment is meant to reduce the environmental impact of the distillery on Jamaican waterways. It will also see green energy implemented by way of a 750-kilowatt solar park to generate green energy to produce steam as opposed to the use of diesel in the past.

According to an exclusive interview with Guardian Media, Campari Group Vice President of Manufacturing (Americas), Crea Lavin-Kitcher explained, “In the process of making rum in Jamaica—our renowned signature Appleton Estate Rum as well as Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, and there is the liquid that doesn’t actually make it into the alcohol and the rum that is our finished product. So that liquid is effectively Dunder, containing things like the molasses that hasn’t turned into alcohol, basically, any water that we use in the process.” 

In the past, according to Lavin-Kitcher, sugarcane was brought into rum distilleries, and Dunder was returned to the soil to be used as a fertilizer in the sugarcane fields. This however becomes runoff when it rains. The runoff introduces a higher biological and chemical oxygen demand which in turn hurts the plant and animal life in the waterways.  

Lavin-Kitcher continued, “The last thing that we want is J. Wray & Nephew and Campari impacting the waterways in Jamaica. We’ve been doing a lot of work historically around making sure we contain those sugarcane fields and make sure that we don’t have the risk of that environmental impact.” 

The company has stated that it will continue to utilize designated cane fields for fertigation—the creation of large ponds for safe waste storage—and work with Jamaica’s National Environment and Planning Agency to ensure adherence to safe processes and procedures while waiting on the project’s completion. The new plant is expected to be completed in the next 12 months.

“Hopefully, we’ll continue to talk to you about the continued investment and continuous ways that we’re making our rum in the right way, the safe way. The highest policy, respecting the community and the environment that we’re in,” Lavin-Kitcher declared.

The green movement is a great thing to see in an industry that has in the past been one of the biggest purchasers of a crop that sees such heavy pollution. Many rum producers are looking to greener production methods with big spirit conglomerates jumping on board. Bacardí recently introduced a Combined Heat & Power (CHP) system to cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in half. Other companies like Flor de Caña, Copalli and Botran have supported the planting of trees to help with their carbon footprints. 

Read Next:

Is Rum Sweet? Exploring the Myth of Rum’s Sugary Reputation

Best Mixers to Pair with Rum for Easy Drinking

Here at The Daily Pour, we do more than write about current events in spirit. We are the only media property reviewing spirits and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the spirit world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of spirit in your morning email, sign up for our Whiskey Deal of the Day Newsletter