Winery's waste now fuel

One Marlborough wine company may hold the key to the region's waste wine product during harvest.

New Zealand Extracts, a subsidiary of Mudhouse Wine Group, has successfully made its first batch of 1000 litres of biofuel by extracting and processing juice from savignon blanc grape skins during vintage.

The company donated 10 litres of its batch to power the biofuel powered boat Earthrace, which docked in Picton yesterday as part of its New Zealand tour.

The company transforms wine bioproducts and waste, and sells extracted products which are added to health supplements and cosmetics.

Manager Glenn Vile said there was a lot of grape waste produced during the vintage season, and this was one way to put it to good use.

"We were really looking to provide a sustainable, renewable energy source.

"We thought what is the local resource and strength we have in Marlborough that we can use? And that's grapes."

After "a little dabble" in the process last year, the biofuel sample was created in March this year.

The company also plans to explore options on how to process forestry waste and garden clippings.

Dr Vile said while 10 litres was not much to fill Earthrace's 12,000 litre fuel tank, it was more about providing a vessel to make use of their product and to confirm it had worked.

He said in today's economic climate, it made sense to be able to extract as much value as you could from products.

Next year during vintage, the company plans to upscale to about 10 or 20,000 litres and look at the feasibility of commercial production.

Sauvignon blanc grapes are used because they are produced in large quantities, and their high sugar content means they can produce high energy levels.

Dr Vile said there were plans for the biofuel to power machinery and generators, with a long-term plan possibly to use it for cars and aircraft.

Earthrace skipper Pete Bethune said that New Zealand was becoming increasingly dependent on the Middle East for oil and using grape extract to make fuel was one of the ways to become more resilient.

He said he was grateful for the donation.

- The Marlborough Express