E–CO2 Project: the carbon dioxide from wine can be used

The E–CO2 Project, an idea by Nazareno Vicenzi, intends to use the carbon dioxide produced during the fermentation of wine.


«Every year the production of wine, with fermentation, releases a large amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere that causes the increase of greenhouse gases. Why not try to capture it, compress it and reuse it, creating a sort of “bank” of clean carbon dioxide for the supplying companies?». This is the Idea of Nazareno Vincenzi, young biotechnologist–oenologist from Verona, to make wine production more sustainable.


What are the aims and objectives of the E–CO2?

«Fermentation is a natural process that turns juice into wine, through the conversion of sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide» Vicenzi says, «and if evey year 45 million hectoliters of wine are produced, in the atmosphere 450 thousand tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) are released. The ultimate goal? To recycle it and to turn it into a resource, making it available for its reuse, for example, in the wine cellars themselves, for the saturation of closed spaces or for the pressing of white grapes, or in other industries, such as for the gassing of beverage or the cultivation of micro–algae for both food and cosmetics markets».


«We have at our disposal so much recoverable carbon dioxide – Giancarlo Lechthaler, general manager of Collis Veneto Wine Group, says – to allow us both to reuse it in the winery, and to make of it a source of clean carbon dioxide for the companies that are suppliers of CO2, creating a sort of “bank of CO2”.

To sum up, the E–CO2 Project aims to recover the carbon dioxide obtained by the alcoholic fermentation of wine avoiding its immediate release to the environment and giving it back its value as a resource, so far neglected.


Who is interested in the E–CO2?

CO2 is highly demanded by the market for a wide variety of uses and that obtained from the wine industry could, on the one hand, meet part of the demand and, on the other hand, ensure added value thanks to its “organic” origin.

Gas operators and trades, waste water treatments, the market of cold and frozen products, wineries, great wine realities, farms, associations and operators in the wine industry.


E–CO2: Idea for the country

The idea is among the winners of the second edition of the “Your idea for your country” contest, promoted by Italia Camp that, in collaboration with the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and with over 60 Italian and international universities, is working to bring out and implement the best ideas of social innovation for Italy.

Vincenzi has recently explained it at Palazzo Chigi, and immediately the enormous potential of this project came to light. The project was developed in 2011 by the young man with the support of the Consortium of Soave and Collis Veneto Wine Group, with Tebaldi srl for technological equipments, in partnership with the Department of Biotechnology of the University of Verona, the University of Naples and the CNR of Pisa.

New institutional and commercial partners are welcome for the development of this interesting project.


Photo by: http://www.agriverdecalabria.it/2012/09/vinificazione-consigli-utili-per-ottenere-un-vino-eccezionale/