Bodegas Miguel Torres

The Miguel Torres winery in Pacs del Penedès, 30 minutes from Barcelona, is set in a privileged location in the heart of the Penedès.

El Penedès is ideal for making and ageing wine. The area has huge potential, with vine pruning production of between 600 and 800 kg/ha.

Project basis

As part of the Torres & Earth programme of environmentally friendly policies, since 2012 Bodegas Torres has replaced natural gas with biomass from the prunings of the winery’s own vineyards and the grape skins left over from winemaking.

This reduces the emissions from natural gas use while also adding value to the company’s own waste, which accounts for 70 % of total biomass consumption, in line with the principles of the circular economy. The rest of the biomass used is made up of pruning waste from nearby forests.

This biomass is used in a 2.4 MW steam boiler that supplies heat to the processes of the Miguel Torres winery and to a 2,050 kW Thermax double-effect absorption water chiller.

The installation has cut gas consumption by 95 %, avoiding the emission of 1,300 tonnes of CO₂ a year.

The project is a clear example of a company’s commitment to environmental criteria aimed at reducing its carbon footprint.

Steam and chilled water production

Thermal energy and cooling are supplied by two main units: a 4,000 kg/h biomass steam generator and a 2,050 kW Thermax SD 50A-TCU double-effect absorption chiller. The installation is completed by an open-circuit cooling tower.

The biomass is stored in a fully automatic silo equipped with the latest technology in biomass combustion systems, modulating control, flue gas filtration, cleaning and automatic ash removal.

The biomass boiler works at a steam outlet pressure of 10 bar(g) to supply heat to the winery’s processes and also to drive an absorption chiller.

Part of the steam generated, 2,150 kg/h, goes through the Thermax double-effect absorption chiller, which chills a flow of 345 m3/h of water from 12 ºC to 7 ºC.

The chilled water is then distributed through the chilled water circuit for the controlled fermentation of the wines and to meet the entire air conditioning demand.