PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Pollution from the wine industry is a major concern for several thousand wine producing communities in the central and southern parts of Europe. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that there are many methods for producing various types of wine but no standard waste treatment strategy for organic polluting agents. These agents are mainly present in the water used in various industrial processes involved in wine production, cleaning of wine tanks, and bottling and detartration activities; as well as in the solid wastes produced by the pressing, crushing and racking processes; and in the air from the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere. There are three basic types of wastewater: 1) Wastewater resulting from wine production processes (fermentation, decanting, mixing and bottling of wine); 2) Wastewater from cooling and condensation of grapes, and 3) Solid wastes from separation of grape stalks and crushing of grape must. In the proposed winery site in Archanes in Crete, the wastewater is directly channelled into an adjacent river and a Natura site, causing considerable damage to the environment and threatening economic growth and tourism in the Archanes region. This project aimed to facilitate the implementation of the EU water framework directive.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of the project was to develop a standardised waste treatment strategy for organic polluting agents, which were mainly present in water used in the various industrial processes and in solid wastes produced by the pressing, crushing and racking processes. The proposed strategy for wine pollution control addressed the following objectives: 1) Reduction of water consumption during the industrial processes of pressing, racking, detartrating and filtration and better water management. 2) Optimisation of the wastewater treatment, using an innovative technology.
RESULTS
The development of an overall methodology for efficient handling of the treatment of wastewater produced by the Wine Industry was the main result expected from this project. More specifically, the expected results were: 1) An innovative tertiary treatment technology (special digester for BOD reduction and other pollutants) with good potential for further marketing of the product in the agricultural and industry sectors of the Mediterranean region. 2) A pilot site in Archanes where the proposed technology would have been evaluated. 3) Software for the optimum management of the water supply and wastewater. The main tasks of this project included: - A review of international studies and technologies: a document was produced reviewing current knowledge and practice regarding existing technologies and methods used in the wine industry for wastewater treatment. - Environmental engineering design of the proposed facility: The designs of the anaerobic digester, the sewage network and pumps were delivered. The foreseen software was neither delivered nor validated as the facility was not constructed. - Construction of the facility: The network connecting the wine industry with the facility-to-be-constructed was completed; however, the facility itself was not built because of bureaucratic obstacles, delays and unsuccessful tendering procedures. - Operation and evaluation of the facility: as the facility was not constructed, this task was also not completed. - Dissemination: Although various dissemination activities were planned, the main implemented dissemination activities were three presentations at corresponding conferences and a web site (which does not include any reference to the LIFE project). Thus, the project did not achieve its objectives as the facility was not constructed and no actual environmental benefits were achieved. An environmental design for the planned facility was proposed; however, as the facility was not tested, no conclusions about the design can be drawn. This project could have introduced an innovative strategy for the management of the wastes of a wine producing facility and it could have had positive socio-economic impacts; however, as the main tasks of the project were not achieved, it did not manage to contribute much in this respect. Maybe the technique remains innovative in scientific terms (as the beneficiary claims in the FR), but it has not been tested in real terms.The development of an overall methodology for efficient handling of the treatment of wastewater produced by the Wine Industry was the main result expected from this project. More specifically, the expected results were: 1) An innovative tertiary treatment technology (special digester for BOD reduction and other pollutants) with good potential for further marketing of the product in the agricultural and industry sectors of the Mediterranean region. 2) A pilot site in Archanes where the proposed technology would have been evaluated. 3) Software for the optimum management of the water supply and wastewater. The main tasks of this project included: - A review of international studies and technologies: a document was produced reviewing current knowledge and practice regarding existing technologies and methods used in the wine industry for wastewater treatment. - Environmental engineering design of the proposed facility: The designs of the anaerobic digester, the sewage network and pumps were delivered. The foreseen software was neither delivered nor validated as the facility was not constructed. - Construction of the facility: The network connecting the wine industry with the facility-to-be-constructed was completed; however, the facility itself was not built because of bureaucratic obstacles, delays and unsuccessful tendering procedures. - Operation and evaluation of the facility: as the facility was not constructed, this task was also not completed. - Dissemination: Although various dissemination activities were planned, the main implemented dissemination activities were three presentations at corresponding conferences and a web site (which does not include any reference to the LIFE project). Thus, the project did not achieve its objectives as the facility was not constructed and no actual environmental benefits were achieved. An environmental design for the planned facility was proposed; however, as the facility was not tested, no conclusions about the design can be drawn. This project could have introduced an innovative strategy for the management of the wastes of a wine producing facility and it could have had positive socio-economic impacts; however, as the main tasks of the project were not achieved, it did not manage to contribute much in this respect. Maybe the technique remains innovative in scientific terms (as the beneficiary claims in the FR), but it has not been tested in real terms.
