INCREASING MICROALGAE BIOMASS FEEDSTOCK BY VALORIZING WINE GASEOUS AND LIQUID RESIDUES

Project Information

REDWine

Grant agreement ID: 101023567

DOI

10.3030/101023567

Project closed

EC signature date 28 April 2021

Start date 1 May 2021

End date 31 December 2025

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 7 667 274,36

EU contribution

€ 5 676 744,00

Coordinated by

AVIPE-ASSOCIACAO DE VITICULTORES DO CONCELHO DE PALMELA
Portugal

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - REDWine (INCREASING MICROALGAE BIOMASS FEEDSTOCK BY VALORIZING WINE GASEOUS AND LIQUID RESIDUES)

Reporting period: 2023-11-01 to 2024-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Climate change is one of the most challenging contemporary global threats. This phenomenon has a range of potential ecological, physical and health impacts, including extreme weather events (such as floods, droughts, storms and heatwaves), sea-level rise, altered crop growth and disrupted water systems. Human GHG emissions, including carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide, methane and others, have originated worrisome scenario.

Among all the production sectors, the food industry is highly contributing to GHG emissions, as it is estimated to be 29% of all anthropogenic emissions. Those emissions are impacting global climate, affecting resources availability and food production. The wine sector is under pressure, with studies showing the possibility of vast portions of Europe on the Mediterranean coastline, especially Italy, Greece, and France, becoming completely inhospitable to grape production by 20501. Global stakeholders are developing strategies to fight climate change and the EU is no exception.

The new EU Green Deal aims to achieve GHG emissions reduction by at least 55% by 2030 and a climate neutral EU economy by 20502. The REDWine project will demonstrate the technical, economic and environmental feasibility of reducing by, at least, 31% of the CO2 eq. emissions produced in the winery industry value chain by utilising biogenic fermentation CO2 for microalgae biomass production.
The goal will be achieved by implementing a new circular economy business model for wine producers, where they will become microalgae biomass producers by utilising their own gaseous and liquid effluents, allowing them to diversify their revenues by valorizing microalgae biomass into food, cosmetics, agricultural products, and new Wines.

REDWine will rely on a complete consortium of 12 entities to achieve its goals, of which 1 ASS, 7 SMEs, 1 LE, 2 RTOs and 1 UNI. REDWine is coordinated by primary producers (the AVIPE wine producers association) harnessing the knowledge of an equitable balance of entities, a multidisciplinary team and assuring a degree of backup and overlapping between partners that reduce risk and gives assurances for its success in short- and long-terms.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the RP3 period (1/11/2023–31/12/2024), several notable achievements were accomplished.

Under Work Package 1 (WP1):
• D1.3 “Specific measures for algae production for youth employment”, includes proposals supporting algae-based youth employment; received on June 23, 2023.
• D1.4 “Market studies, business models and business plans (1st update)”, refines previous studies and models; submitted May 3, 2023.
• D1.5 “Price and cost modelling (incorporated into RES)”, addresses pricing and cost structures within algae-based renewable energy; received January 9, 2024.
• D1.7 “Market studies… (2nd update)”, continues earlier work; submitted April 30, 2024.

Under WP2:
• D2.5 “Chlorella cultivation parameters (1st update)”; received November 28, 2024.
• D2.6 (2nd update), further refines cultivation conditions; submitted April 30, 2025.

D7.4 “Logistics of the process”, outlines IDENER’s support to A4F and LEITAT in designing and modeling the algae supply chain, considering logistics, cost, and emissions. It defines long-, medium-, and short-term decision levels for sourcing industrial effluents, contributing to TEA in task 7.3; submitted June 3, 2024.

In WP8, D8.9 documented partners’ event participation. In WP9, annual KPI and impact deliverables were submitted on November 6, 2023, and October 3, 2024.

Besides submitted deliverables, REDWINE partners pursued their works for the full implementation of the demo unit. WP2 partners kept the research on the use of wine effluents. Their main constraints were the different compositions based on the different origin of the effluents. Different varieties provide different composition and that’s a problem for microalgae. Tests were performed on small reactors and solutions were assessed to make it possible for its use on the demo unit. WP3 was able to capture and store CO2 from wine fermentation not just in 2023 but also in 2024. To make it possible, it was necessary to train employees and make some adjustments on the system. At the end, it was possible to capture and store 2 tons of pure CO2. WP4 was involved in the construction of the demo unit. Problems with the permit were solved and the unit started its construction. It’s expected to be ready by the end of April. WP5 focused its work on obtaining extracts and making them available for WP6. WP6 was able to develop food solutions and kept the tests on vineyards for biostimulants and for the winemaking activities. The tests for cosmetics started after the expected date, but they are running and the first prototype is expected by September. WP7 worked on LCA activities and will provide full assessments at the end of the project. WP8 activities were related with communication and dissemination of the results and WP9, besides the project management, had work on the grant amendment.

No major constraints are expected through completion, though cosmetic testing delays remain a minor concern per task leader.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

There are some solutions to capture CO2 in wineries, but they are expensive and the goals are to use on production of calcium carbonate or to use directly on musts to avoid oxidation. There are also some solutions in industry that CO2 is captured and used on algae development but not on wineries. This project aims to merge both ideas into a very popular activity. Moreover, considering that there are some estimations that mentions the use of 10L of water per litre of wine, the possibility to use wine effluents on algae to produce cosmetics and biostimulants are innovative and ecological.

The impacts of the project - including the societal impacts of the project - will be greater the more advanced the work. In any case, taking into account the work carried out so far, it is already possible to highlight some achievements, namely:
-CO2 capture and the use of wine effluents along with the production of food with less animal protein could the most impactful achievements for the society.
-The achievements related with WP6 and the development of food products and biostimulants for vineyards were significant.
-Also, the 179 compounds extracted from Chlorella that can lead to new products was a significant achievement.
-Considering the delay on the construction of the unit, the municipality permit, and the construction of the demo unit was also an achievement during the period.

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