W Platform, a start-up based in Bordeaux, has launched the CO2Box, a groundbreaking system that captures and recycles carbon dioxide generated during fermentation, paving the way for a more sustainable winemaking process.
During wine fermentation, yeast converts sugar into alcohol and CO2. One hectolitre (100 litres) of wine at 13.5% alcohol produces approximately 11.5 kg of CO2. With global wine production at about 260 million hectolitres annually, this results in 2.99 million tonnes of CO2 from fermentation alone.
According to UC Davis professor, Roger Boulton, the strength of the carbon emissions created during the wine fermentation process is also ‘five times more concentrated than planes and cars.’
So winemakers need to work out ways to capture the carbon emitted during the fermentation process
Speaking at a conference in 2019, Professor Boulton explained: “Carbon footprints have been pushed into a corner. Winemakers have to measure their footprints, own them and be proud of them. The elephant in the room of the carbon world in wineries is fermentation. We should be capturing carbon in wineries so they become carbon neutral. Carbon from the winemaking process is five times more concentrated than planes and cars. A litre of juice produces 60 litres of carbon dioxide. Why aren’t we trapping it?”
Step up Bordeaux start-up W Platform, co-founded by Matthieu Planté and Jean-Philippe Ricard in 2021. It has unveiled a groundbreaking technology that addresses this issue of CO2 emissions in the wine-making process. Their innovation directly captures the fermentation CO2 produced during wine production and presents a spectrum of applications for its in-house recycling.
Matthieu Planté said, “Some customers asked us to create solutions to reuse CO2, especially when it comes to pumping over and extracting procedures.”
After a year of dedicated research and development, W Platform has developed a patented device known as the CO2Box. This system consists of a network of pipes installed above fermentation vats, which captures CO2 naturally without the need for external energy sources, utilising the pressure generated by rising gases.
Some of the W Platform team on the occasion of their €2m raise in early 2024. The round of financing was led by the VitiRev Innovation fund and managed by Demeter Investment Managers.
Once captured, CO2 can be efficiently condensed to a liquid state at pressures below 70 bars. This transformation enables wine producers to generate dry ice or CO2 ice pellets for a variety of applications, such as cooling harvested grapes or creating an inert atmosphere within tanks or presses. Additional functionality allows for the injection of CO2 into the winery’s water supply, enhancing rinsing capabilities while simultaneously conserving water.
A significant portion of the carbon dioxide produced typically escapes into the atmosphere. By harnessing CO2 released from fermentation vats, winemakers have the opportunity to reduce their reliance on external CO2 suppliers, minimise purchasing costs, and alleviate their overall carbon emissions associated with gas production and transportation. This innovative approach not only meets the CO2 requirement for the winemaking process but also potentially generates surplus CO2 based on the types of products being developed.
The advice may be to let wine breathe: but in the fermentation process, it’s important to capture that ‘breath’.
