[News]
Vitivalo
Since the end of December 2017, a prefectural decree has prohibited the open-air burning of agricultural waste, including waste from wine-growing activities, in order to reduce sources of fine particle emissions in the Savoie region (an area subject to numerous episodes of fine particle pollution in winter). However, in the vineyards of the Pays de Savoie, which are located on hillsides and are therefore difficult to access, the wood cut annually is traditionally burned on site as pruning takes place during the winter. Savoie also has a large wine nursery industry (70% of French vines are produced there), which also disposes of its wood waste by burning.
The VITIVALO project was therefore launched by the University of Savoie Mont Blanc in spring 2017, with the aim of developing new, sustainable ways of recycling wine industry waste within a circular economy, involving numerous professional, institutional, public, academic, and associative partners in the region.
Two main complementaryareas of research are being developed in the VITIVALO project: (1) limiting the environmental impact of the wine industry on air quality and (2) developing new local channels for recycling wine industry waste through chemical and thermal recovery, in the form of materials, etc.
WHAT TYPES OF WASTE ARE AFFECTED?
The VITIVALO project concerns all wood waste from viticulture and vine nurseries. A recent study carried out as part of the project has made it possible to identify the quantities available in the Savoie region, as well as to inventory all the practices of professionals. Today, this production of wood waste is estimated at almost 30,000 m3 per year.
RESEARCH AREAS
When wood waste is burned in the open air, the quantities of fine particles and toxic pollutants emitted depend on several factors: the type of waste (vine shoots, stumps, grape varieties), the moisture content of the waste, the weather conditions during burning, and the techniques used to carry out the burning. Very little is known about these aspects in scientific literature. There is therefore a real lack of data on emission factors and an inventory of practices in the Pays de Savoie region. Based on sampling methods already used at the LCME and in partnership with wine industry professionals and Atmo Auvergne Rhône-Alpes, field measurements will be carried out to identify and quantify the fine particles and main toxic and hazardous compounds emitted during the open-air burning of vineyard waste according to several parameters.
The innovation of the project lies in the implementation of cascading recovery processes, with chemical recovery as the initial stage. Wine-making waste is a significant and renewable source of high value-added molecules, such as powerful antioxidants and potentially strong mediators of biological effects (anti-inflammatory, potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, etc.), which are currently of interest to the chemical industry. The extraction of these molecules from wine-making waste aims to enhance and create potential for the economic exploitation of this waste by companies. etc.) that are currently of interest to the chemical industry. The extraction of these molecules from wine-making waste aims to recover and create economic potential for this waste for local businesses. Molecules of interest to the cosmetics industry will be targeted as a priority, but other molecules may be identified during the extraction and analysis phases. Technologically, these extraction processes will be innovative and based on green chemistry methods, which are more eco-friendly. The various recovery scenarios will take into account the environmental impact of the processes implemented and will be evaluated using Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and compared to open-air burning, material recovery, and/or boiler incineration.
HOW DOES THE PROJECT WORK?
The VITIVALO project is led bythe University of Savoie Mont Blanc, in particular by two lecturers and researchers from the Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry and Environment atthe Faculty of Science and Mountain Studies: Christine PIOT and Grégory CHATEL. Their role involves coordinating the project (liaising between partners, leading working groups, internal and external communication, providing expertise, etc.) and seeking funding to carry out the studies needed to achieve the objectives. They are also scientific experts in the fields of air quality (chemical measurements and characterizations) and chemical waste recovery (production of high added-value molecules via environmentally acceptable processes).
The project is then organized into four working groups to which each of the partners can contribute, from the idea stage to the implementation of concrete or funded actions:
- AIR Group
- GISEMENT Group
- VALO Group
- COMM Group
HOW IS THE PROJECT FUNDED?
Like any research project, the VITIVALO project requires funding in order to achieve its objectives. Financial support was quickly secured thanks to the dynamism of the consortium that was set up:
- Doctoral thesis co-financed by ADEME and the Savoie Mont Blanc Council, on the chemical recovery of wine industry waste (€100,000, November 2017-November 2020)
- Student project on waste inventory and practices in the region, funded by local partners (Cœur de Savoie Community of Municipalities, Savoie Wine Syndicate, Savoie Wine Nursery Syndicate, GDA Cœur de Savoie, and Savoie Mont Blanc Chamber of Agriculture; €4,800, September 2017-June 2018)
- AAP Montagne, intern at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc on air quality (€9,000, January 2018-December 2018)
- USMB Foundation for laboratory equipment (€60,000 in 2018, renewable in 2019)
- Crédit Agricole des Savoie for communication (€3,000 for 2018-2020).
- CSMB of €26,000 in 2019 for the section on atmospheric emissions measurements during the open-air burning of vineyard waste
- The industrial composting study conducted in 2019 on the Grand Chambéry platform operated by SUEZ: financing and provision of the platform by Grand Chambéry; operational implementation of the study by SUEZ Organique.
- Study of soil amendment using vineyard waste wood using the Ramial Chopped Wood technique: funded by the municipality of La Motte Servolex, the Syndicat des Pépiniéristes viticoles (vineyard nursery association) and the Communauté de Communes Coeur de Savoie (Coeur de Savoie community of municipalities); study conducted on municipal land in La Motte Servolex.
Other funding requests are pending.
Since June 6, 2018, citizens and businesses have also been able to fund research as part of the VITIVALO project via the Fondation Université Savoie Mont Blanc donation platform. These donations are tax deductible.
project partners
The originality of the VITIVALO project lies in the fact that the University of Savoie Mont Blanc is the project leader, enabling it to bring all the relevant stakeholders together through the university's coordination and "neutral" and "scientific" approach.
After several exchanges, numerous partners participated in an initial brainstorming meeting on June 6, 2017.
Exactly one year later, on June 6, 2018, the VITIVALO project held its official launch event at the Presidency of the University of Savoie Mont Blanc in Chambéry.
Research partners
- The University of Savoie Mont Blanc (USMB) and its research laboratories:
- The USMB Foundation
- The USMB Business Club
- AMVALOR subsidiary (Arts et Métiers, Chambéry Institute)
Wine professionals
- Regional Union of Savoie Wines
- Union of Wine Nursery Growers of Savoie
- The French Institute of Vine and Wine
Many winegrowers and vine nurseries are also participating in the experiments on an individual basis as part of the VITIVALO project.
Territories
- Bauges Massif Regional Nature Park
- Communities of Communes in the Heart of Savoie
- Grand Chambéry Communities of Municipalities
- The municipality of La Motte Servolex
- Savoie Mont Blanc Council (CSMB)
State, Territorial, Environment, Agriculture, and Industry Services
- Departmental Directorate for the Territory of Savoie (DDT73)
- Regional Directorate for Environment, Planning, and Housing (DREAL, Interdepartmental Unit for the two Savoie departments and Regional Unit for Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
- Regional Directorate for Food, Agriculture, and Forestry of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region (DRAAF Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes)
- Savoie Mont Blanc Chamber of Agriculture
- French Institute of Vine and Wine
- Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Savoie
- Vaucluse Chamber of Agriculture – Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
- Auvergne Rhône-Alpes Enterprises, Savoie Branch
- Atmo Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Observatory
Associations
- Savoyard Association for the Development of Renewable Energy (ASDER)
- Association for Organic Agriculture in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ADABio, Savoie branch)
- Health and Environment Association in Combes de Savoie
Companies
- INDDIGO Design Office
- Amarilis Design Office
- TRIALP
- Crédit Agricole des Savoie
Would you like to participate in the project?
Are you a professional, elected official, business, association, or citizen interested in participating logistically or experimentally in the VITIVALOproject?
Please contact the project leaders by email:
you wish to finance the project
A crowdfunding platform is available on the Fondation Université Savoie Mont Blanc website via the link below. Whether you are a citizen or a company, your donation to support the VITIVALO project is tax deductible.
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University of Savoie Mont Blanc – LCME
VITIVALO Project
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73376 LE BOURGET-DU-LAC CEDEX