How to turn Wine into Biofuel

It’s no secret that wine is one of the most popular liquids on the planet, adored from the chateaus of France and the vineyards of California to the wineries of Australia and the cellars of Chile. Now, researchers from the University of Adelaide are maintaining that a drop of red, white or rose can represent so much more than simply a divine accompaniment to an evening meal.

Published in the Bioresource Technology journal, their research claims that the solid waste leftover from the wine making process can be used to manufacture competitively priced, premium quality biofuel.

“This is a potentially economic use for what is largely a waste product,” explains Associate Professor Rachel Burton. Burton fronted the research and holds the role of Program Leader with the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls in the School of Agriculture, Food and Wine.

Just one more reason to love a good glass of vino!

Australia is renowned for producing some of the finest wine in the world, and now researchers have done the country proud by turning its favourite beverage into viable biofuel source. The project found that the waste products of one metric ton of fermented grape marc could produce up to 400 litres of bioethanol. The method leaves nothing to waste, utilising the skins, stalks and seeds from the wine-making process.

Given the fact that every year the global wine production industry generates 13 million metric tons of grape marc, the discovery could spell huge financial and environmental benefits. Not to mention the savings wineries could make from selling off their marc, as opposed to forking out for disposal costs.

While the biofuel manufacturing technique does still generate some by-product, the researchers assert that as an organic material it can be used as animal feed or fertiliser.

A new era of biofuel

Biofuel advancements are coming in hard and fast, and it’s not just the University of Adelaide that’s pioneering new developments. In July United Airlines made history when it pledged a US$30 million investment in Fulcrum BioEnergy, a leading biofuel developer. It’s the biggest US airline investment in alternative fuels and marks a huge step forward for the industry as a whole.  Want to know more about the exciting new, eco-friendly biofuel developments on the horizon? ‘Biofuel Development and Standardisation’ examines the obstacles faced by the biofuel industry before it becomes a mainstream energy source. This includes international trade and transportation, as well as varying government specifications.