Capti’vin - decarbonising the wine industry and the F&B sector
Capti'vin is transforming winemaking in Switzerland by mitigating CO2 emissions and ensuring cellar safety. We empower winemakers to capture their CO2 from wine fermentation, therefore reducing their environmental impact, by repurposing it and valorizing it in the F&B industry and agriculture.
Who are the people behind the project and what is your background?
Jean-Valentin de Saussure: Circular Innovation&Sustainability MSc student (BFH), with a BSc in Envir. Studies (UNIL). Expertise as Project Coordinator, and Parliamentary Assistant.
Florian Degueldre: Accomplished chemist with a MSc in molecular and biological chemistry. A decade of experience as a biomedical physicist at HUG.
Yves Loerincik: Seasoned entrepreneur, leading sustainability and entrepreneurship ventures for +20 years. Piloted diverse projects and established successful companies.
How did your idea come into being?
When tackling the wine industry's vulnerability to climate change and the F&B sector's GHG emissions, we confront two pressing challenges. During wine fermentation, in most existing installations, CO2 is released into the atmosphere (the tanks are opened), harming the environment and endangering cellar workers who face high intoxication risks.
After discussing with various winemakers in the Cantons of Vaud and Valais, we proposed a circular solution: capturing biogenic CO2 and establishing a value chain for its sustainable utilization in the F&B industry. This CO2 can be easily captured and is of food grade, making it useable with low transformation. By mitigating CO2 emissions and prioritizing safety, we drive a transformative approach towards greener practices.
What is your idea to impactfully design a climate positive FOODprint for Switzerland?
We present an integrated solution, comprising a carbon capture technology and a specialized piping system for the wine tanks. This innovation allows for the recovery, compression, and storage of CO2, paving the way for a circular approach. By creating a value chain, we directly valorize the captured CO2 within the F&B industry.
The primary objective is to significantly reduce CO2, thereby mitigating both environmental and safety risks of current practices. We target medium and large wineries in the cantons of VS, VD, and GE, which encompass 70% of all Swiss winemakers, maximizing the impact on emissions across the wine value chain.
Our vision is to develop an accessible CO2 capture technology and recovery service, enabling them to recycle a co-product. The recovered CO2 will be offered to regional companies in the F&B industry and agriculture, with various applications including carbonated drinks, greenhouses, and microalgae production, ensuring economic viability and sustainability.
How do you define the positive impact of your solution on the problem described above?
A pilot in the region of Saillon (VS) is in development with local winemakers and the HES-SO VS for the wine harvest 2023-2024, through an innovation cheque.
In terms of efficiency, more than 80% of the CO2 can be recovered through the process at the wineries. This could reduce the carbon footprint by up to 15%. An LCA will be conducted as a next step after the pilot project, by the end of 2023 to assess the environmental impact of the production and use of the system.
The impact in terms of GHG emissions will be measured through the number of wineries acquired, where the number of tons of CO2 captured will be counted and monitored. The potential for decarbonization is even greater depending on how it is recovered and transformed once it is captured. And, the way the recovered CO2 is used, valorized will also be assessed through products sold.
In order to increase the impact even further, other applications for the technology and developed value chain are currently being researched.
