Case Studies

Insights | Case Studies | Laizhou Distillery
Laizhou Distillery
Location:

Qionglai, Chengdu, China

Client:

Shanghai Bacchus Liquor Co. Ltd.

Industry:

Distilled Spirits

Laizhou Distillery

About

Now an award-winning spirits producer based in China, Laizhou Distillery was a project that BRIGGS and the wider CLPT Group took great pride in developing for Shanghai Bacchus.

The challenge

Located in Qionglai, Chengdu and spanning 150,000m², this greenfield project was created to support China’s increasing demand for quality spirits.

Working closely with the distillery owners at Shanghai Bacchus, as well as fellow CLPT Group members, BRIGGS developed the Laizhou Distillery with the aim of meeting the goal production capacity of 65 million litres of pure alcohol (MPLA) a year, as well as keeping sustainability and engineering expertise in mind throughout.

Our approach

Blending traditionalism with innovation, this project encompasses a wide variety of BRIGGS’ engineering talents. From concept studies to design, each and every aspect of the distillery production was covered by BRIGGS – including specialist equipment design, process engineering, project management and automation.

The BRIGGS team also fitted an array of market-leading equipment for raw material handling, fermentation, distillation, storage, and cleaning – ensuring high efficiency and quality standards for the distillery’s operations.

Key highlights

  • Phase Development: Completed in two stages, the distillery quickly achieved a total capacity of 65 MLPA, supporting the production of a wide variety of spirits.
  • Product Range: Using BRIGGS’ advanced process design, the distillery can produce Chinese Malt Whisky, Chinese Grain Whisky, Bourbon-style grain whiskey, Grain Neutral Spirit (GNS) and Vodka.
  • Specialist Equipment: In addition to BRIGGS’ distillery mashing equipment and McMillan Coppersmith’s traditional and modern Scottish pot stills, condensers and spirit safes, the distillery was also fitted with locally manufactured stainless-steel tanks, sourced by CLPT China.
  • Sustainable Operations: With a focus on sustainable manufacturing, this distillery was designed to employ innovative measures to minimise environmental impact. These measures include the use of low-temperature continuous saccharification equipment and natural ventilation and lighting, aiming for net-zero operations. What’s more, the distillery also excels in waste management by recovering heat energy, treating wastewater for biogas energy generation, and repurposing carbon dioxide from fermentation as food-grade CO₂.

The impact

Since completion, Laizhou Distillery has gone on to rank amongst the Top 10 grain whisky producers across the world.

The project’s commitment to sustainability has garnered the distillery international acclaim, achieving the Category Award Winner for Environmental, Innovation, and Marketing at the 2023 Just Drinks Excellence Awards, before going on to win four major awards at the 2024 Icons of Whisky awards in Shenzhen, China.

Aside from industry recognition, Laizhou Distillery also made an impact on the academic community. Working with Shanghai Bacchus, BRIGGS co-authored a comprehensive article for the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD) Magazine on the ‘The Rise of Chinese Whisky’, sharing expertise and thought-leadership in distillery science and technology.

Conclusion

The Laizhou Distillery Project represents a huge milestone in the distilled spirits industry, both in China and globally, demonstrating BRIGGS’ ability to deliver turnkey EPC projects with its Chinese partners.

Copper Hopper