Evaluation of the Economic, Environmental, and Social Impact of the Valorization of Grape Pomace from the Wine Industry

The increase in the world population has led to intensive food production systems that are generating increasing amounts of solid waste. In this work, the valorization of the most important waste generated during wine production, grape pomace, is evaluated. Eight processes are proposed to approach different types of valorization (production of energy and value-added products), from economic, environmental, and social points of view. The best process depends on the budget available, the production capacity, and the weight of each impact produced by the factory (economic, environmental, or social). For small (less than 0.1 kg/s) or very large (greater than 10 kg/s) capacities, the production of high-value-added products outperforms the other processes in all three impacts and in profitability. For intermediate capacities, combustion and gasification stand out as having the highest greenhouse emissions and intermediate economic benefits. Anaerobic digestion is remarkable for its low greenhouse gas emissions, while tannin production is the best-balanced process from both economic and environmental points of view. Pyrolysis is the worst process of all three impacts.

Automated summary

This study evaluates the valorization of grape pomace, the most important waste generated during wine production, and finds that for small or very large capacities, production of high-value-added products is the best option. For intermediate capacities, combustion and gasification stand out while anaerobic digestion excels in low greenhouse gas emissions.