project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
LOCAL RCM: Development of a Prototype for a Mobile Pilot Plant for On-Site Concentration and Rectification of Grape Must to Replace Imported Sugars in
MCR LOCAL: Creación de un prototipo de planta piloto móvil para la concentración y rectificación de mosto de uva in situ para substituir azúcares importados en la producción de vinos espumosos
Context
The cava sector of the Catalan wine production industry faces various technological,
economic, and environmental challenges. In cava production, the addition of sugar is required for the second
fermentation and for the liqueur expedition. This generates a demand for sugar, typically sourced from outside Europe, which has a significant economic and environmental impact on the wine sector.
Simultaneously, in the Penedès region, there is an overproduction of grapes leading to substantial economic losses. From surplus grapes, rectified concentrated must (RCM) can be obtained. This is a dense, high-sugar-content, colourless, clean, physically and chemically stable liquid of high purity.
This product can replace sugar in the cava production process, leading to positive environmental and economic impacts, and promoting circular economy principles. Currently, the RCM used in the majority of Catalan wineries is produced by companies outside of Catalonia, specifically in Castilla-La Mancha, and sometimes even from the surplus must of Catalan wineries.
The distance between the wineries and the RCM production centres necessitates must stabilization (sulphitation) and the transportation of must and RCM, resulting in a considerable environmental impact caused by the sector. Based on the results of a previous project stemming from collaboration between INNOVI, Eurecat, and Penedès wineries under the 'Competitive reinforcement initiatives - IRC2020 (ACCIÓ)' call, the potential for local RCM production in the Penedès region was identified through laboratory-scale tests.
Objectives
The aim of this project is to demonstrate the technical, economic, and environmental viability of a compact and mobile process for RCM concentration within Penedès wineries, thereby reducing economic costs and the associated carbon footprint compared to the use of sugar or externally produced RCM. The pilot will consist of three technological modules. With the presence of the pilot plant at the wineries during harvest, there would be no need to stabilise the must with sulphite, and the economic cost of reagents used in resin regeneration, which saturates rapidly with sulphite, would be reduced. For this reason, the project will include a phase for treating sulphited must and another for untreated must.
Objectives
El objetivo de este proyecto es demostrar la viabilidad técnico-económica y ambiental de un proceso compacto y móvil para la concentración de MCR en las bodegas de la zona del Penedès reduciendo los costes económicos y la huella de carbono asociada en comparación al uso de azúcar, o bien al MCR producido fuera del territorio de aplicación. El piloto constará de tres módulos tecnológicos. Con la presencia del piloto en las mismas bodegas al momento de la vendimia, no sería necesario estabilizar el mosto con sulfito y disminuiría el coste económico de los reactivos utilizados en la regeneración de las resinas, las cuales se saturan con sulfito muy rápidamente.
Activities
- The first step of this activity will involve establishing the functional requirements by the wineries.
- Prior to operating the pilot plant, each stage of the process will be investigated separately to study the best configuration and operational conditions for each of them.
-Once the pilot has been fine-tuned, it will be operated within various wineries to produce MCR on-site.
- An economic study will be conducted using the results obtained from pilot operation to evaluate and, if necessary, adjust the stages in question. This will determine the technical and economic feasibility of the process.
Activities
- El primer paso de esta actividad será el establecimiento de los requerimientos funcionales por parte de las bodegas.
- Antes de operar el piloto se investigará cada etapa del proceso por separado, para estudiar la mejor configuración y condiciones de operación de cada una de ellas.
- Una vez terminada la puesta al punto del piloto se operará el piloto en las diferentes bodegas para la producción in situ de MCR.
- Se realizará un estudio económico utilizando los resultados obtenidos con la operación del piloto para evaluar y, si corresponde, corregir las etapas consideradas, lo que permitirá determinar la viabilidad tecnicoeconòmica del proceso.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014ES06RDRP009 Spain - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Cataluña
Location
- Main geographical location
- Barcelona
EUR 212754.72
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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ASSOCIACIO AEI INNOVI
Project coordinator