EU-funded REDWine project transforms winery waste into bio-based products
In Portugal, the European wine industry is under pressure to cut emissions, reduce additives and operate more sustainably, while remaining economically competitive. The EU-funded REDWine project has taken on these challenges by transforming two major winery waste streams – CO2 emissions and liquid effluents – into bio-based products.
The project’s primary innovation is an integrated system that captures, purifies and liquefies CO2 released during fermentation, and stores it for reuse. REDWine successfully tested the system under real operation conditions in its demonstration site in Palmela, Portugal, where it recovered two tonnes of CO2 per year. The recovered CO2 was reused as a growth input for microalgae cultivation. Winery wastewater served as the liquid medium, enabling the cultivation of Chlorella vulgaris, a versatile microalgae species, in a range of photobioreactor systems developed by the project, including flat-panel, tubular and AI-controlled designs. REDWine estimates that its system can achieve more than a 30 % reduction in the carbon footprint across the wine value chain. Microalgae biomass produced through this process can be processed into proteins, lipids, pigments and bioactive compounds, finding applications in agriculture, cosmetics, food and in winemaking itself, where algae-based ingredients can replace sulphites as preservatives.
Category: Research
