Turning wine waste into profit: possibilities of the Moldovan wine industry

Did you know that the leftover grape skins, seeds and stems from winemaking are called “pomace”? Have you ever wondered what happens to these leftovers after the grape has been squished of their juice? No? Well, the Biogas Research Team at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences in CZU Prague have surely thought about it and have launched an innovative project that puts to good use this pomace.  

This project was aiming to assess the possibilities of local winemakers in terms of valorisation of their processing waste. Based on the preliminary data collection and interviews with stakeholders the briquetting technology has been assessed as the most appropriate technology for small-scale and medium-scale producers together with the use of small-scale biogas plants.

The project started with an in-depth study of waste management flows among the winery makers in Moldavia. Based on the study, the technology of briquetting press and wood shredder was implemented together with a small-scale biogas plant in two different wineries. Further on the implemented technology was tested based on specific inputs in the target location. As a follow-up, there was organized study visits from neighbouring communities and local winemakers to observe the technology. In addition, some of the project activities were also presented at the Ecological Festival in Moldova. At the end of the project, recommendations for further up-scaling and replication within the country were developed. Furthermore, one scientific paper was prepared for a scientific conference in Moldova and will be presented during the upcoming conference.

In addition, all the results will be further utilized in a scientific paper, which will provide better insight into the current situation in Moldova and further opportunities for development.

"Moldova is a country full of potential and there is a large amount to implement other important solutions to waste issues," says Marek Jelínek, a member of the Biogas Research Team, who worked on the site. "The hospitality of the people in Moldova is amazing. It is all the easier to work on such projects when people are so friendly and helpful" adds Ing. Charles Ogbu, a member of the Biogas Research Team, who also worked on the project in Moldova.

"We are currently working on recommendations for further replication of the tested solutions throughout Moldova so that we can help improve waste management in Moldova as much as possible," concludes the head of the Biogas Research Team, Dr. Hynek Roubík.

More information about the project:

Contact Dr. Hynek Roubík, Group leader of Biogas Research Team, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague at 该邮件地址已受到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它需要在浏览器中启用 JavaScript。.

The project was financed by the Challenge Fund: Czech Solutions for SDGs, an effective driver of innovation and change in the region.

If you are interested in the initiative or Challenge Fund: Czech Solutions for SDGs, please use the following contacts:

Czech-UNDP Partnership for SDGs: 该邮件地址已受到反垃圾邮件插件保护。要显示它需要在浏览器中启用 JavaScript。

Picture credit: Biogas Research Team