Peter LEHMANN of the Barossa

Environment Report

We believe it is our responsibility to ensure available resources are used efficiently, the effects of the winery operations on the environment are minimised, and materials are recycled wherever possible. PLW regularly conducts awareness seminars for staff to reinforce procedures designed to reduce the Company’s impact on the environment.

A study of 135 sectors making up the Australian economy prepared jointly by the CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems and the University of Sydney indicated the wine industry rates 15% below average on greenhouse emissions; 65% below average for land disturbance; and uses water at twelve times the economy wide average. The study estimates process water, mainly used to wash down equipment, at 2,000 litres per tonne of grapes crushed.

The major effects of the PLW operation on the environment have been analysed as –

• Use of water 
• Disposal of winery wastewater 
• Energy use 
• Greenhouse emissions 
• Storage of chemicals 
• Use of packaging materials and their recycling/disposal 
• Effect on neighbours – odour, noise, dust and activity 
• Aesthetics and biodiversity

Weather conditions and tonnes processed impact on water and electricity usage.

Water is used in the vineyards to enhance grape quality. To conserve water we use drip irrigation systems in the Company owned vineyards to control the amount of water used for irrigation. These systems supplement the natural rainfall of the region. Sources for supplementary irrigation include piped river water, dams and bores. Grape growers who supply 98% of PLW’s fruit also use drip irrigation systems.

Water is used in the winery to wash down plant and machinery as well as to clean barrels and tanks. PLW was successful between 2002 and 2005 in reducing the volume of water used. Usage in 2007 rose to just below the industry average of 2,000 litres per tonne as even though the tonnage was reduced a similar amount of water is required for cleaning.

Wastewater is made up of washings, stormwater from designated areas and some waste processing.

The disposal of winery wastewater is a critical issue and PLW has installed a winery wastewater treatment plant which uses a system of screening, aeration and solids removal. The winery wastewater is pumped through a series of tanks and ponds. At the end of processing the reclaimed water is suitable for vineyard irrigation.

PLW is becoming increasingly efficient in the capture and processing of wastewater and also the extraction of solid pressings. The by-product of solid pressings is deposited on vacant land to dry and then used as nutrients in the vineyard.

We continue to remove caustic washings from the wastewater treatment process. The reduction in the sodium level in the recovered water benefits the soil when the water is used for irrigation. The caustic washings are sent offsite where the processor recovers the tartrates.

At the end of processing the reclaimed water is suitable for vineyard irrigation. This is getting harder to achieve though as reduced water usage results in more concentrated wastewater. Also the stored water is subject to evaporation and the remaining water becomes more saline.  We have installed a pipeline to nearby North Para Environment Control (NPEC) where the processed water is further treated and returned to PLW to irrigate the lawns and gardens.

In 2007/08 PLW planted 1.5 hectares of vacant winery land with sugar gums (Eucalyptus cladocalyx).  The small to medium tree is endemic to South Australia and is quite hardy and useful for windbreaks and wood production.

Over the last 18 months we relocated the southern tankfarm to alongside the northern tankfarm near the winery complex. As well as reducing the volume of water required to clean the wine lines between operations the change will also boost productivity and in a small way reduce electricity consumption as the need to pump wine between the two locations will be eliminated.

PLW also changed the layout of the laboratory to have all the lab condensers used to measure Sulphur Dioxide and Volatile Acid levels plumbed to a recirculating water cooler system. Previously, the water used in the condensers was drawn from the mains water taps with the outgoing heated water going down a drain. This capital project will save approximately 150,000 litres of water annually.

Good energy management seeks to reduce energy consumption, reduce energy-related emissions, alleviate overload on electrical transformers and circuits and lower expenditure.

Electricity is the major source of energy used with the remainder derived from the combustion of fossil fuels such as natural gas, LPG and diesel.

Refrigeration plays an important part in the winemaking process as it is used to control the temperature of wine/juice during production. Peak usage occurs during the vintage period and in 2008 consumption increased as the earlier ripening of the crop saw PLW crushing during the height of summer.

We are continuing the project whereby energy usage for different processes and particular equipment is monitored to determine actions to reduce energy consumption and expenditure.  Turbidity controllers were fitted to the centrifuges to reduce solids output which will result in a reduction in power and water usage and improve wine quality. We are also investigating the use of energy meters to capture energy from centrifuge slowdown with the objective of returning it to the electricity grid.

Information technology is also playing its part, with the continued installation of low energy, low heat ‘diskless’ desktop computers and energy efficient, low heat servers. The move to diskless workstations, which have a lifespan double that of a standard PC will also result in reduced consumption of manufactured goods, indirectly reducing CO2 emissions.

Greenhouse emissions

Electricity and LPG consumption, wine fermentation and transport are the major sources of PLW emissions. The chemical process of converting the sugar in grapes to ethanol releases CO2. PLW uses ammonia as the refrigerant and consequently the technology does not require the use of CFC’s and their emission into the atmosphere.

The composition of the PLW car fleet has been reviewed and we are changing to more energy efficient vehicles with lower emissions. Since 2002, PLW has been a supporter of Greenfleet, a not-for-profit organisation which promotes fuel efficient technologies to reduce emissions. It also maintains a native reforestation and carbon program to sequester greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, inclduing emissions from the PLW fleet.

PLW has reported its emissions to the National Pollutant Index (NPI) since 2003. The NPI database at www.npi.gov.au and www.epa.sa.gov.au contains information on the types and quantities of pollutants being emitted from a range of industrial, commercial, transport and household activities.

The collection of NPI emission information is designed to:

• help in environmental planning and management
• promote waste minimisation and cleaner production by industry and business, leading to energy and resource savings
• satisfy community demand for accessible information on pollutant emissions to the environment
• increase community awareness of the contribution to pollution from many different sources.

PLW emissions are ethanol (C2H5OH): an alcohol with low enough toxicity for (moderate) human consumption and volatile organic compounds: a general term which refers to a large and diverse group of substances, including hydrocarbons, oxygenates and halocarbons that readily evaporate at room temperature. Emissions relate to fermentation of the wine and bottling activities. PLW’s emissions are comparable to those of other similar sized wineries.

Chemicals are stored securely in the winery and there are dedicated areas for mixing. There are operating procedures for the use of chemicals and the recovery/disposal of spilt chemicals has been addressed in PLW’s environment contingency plan. There are separate chemical storage sheds and chemical spray pads on the Company owned vineyards.

PLW requires the independent grape growers to use specified pesticides and herbicides responsibly in the vineyards. The spray regimes for each vineyard are monitored to ensure compliance with relevant government and export regulations. We are fortunate to grow grapes in a district which is not prone to disease and thus sprays are not used extensively.

Packaging is made up of a number of components including bottles, corks, closures, capsules, labels and cartons.

• Bottle Weight – we have moved to lighter weight bottles for the Art Series and Clancy's wines.  Encouraged by this success, we have embarked on a project to reduce the bottle weight for the Weighbridge and Wildcard wines which are exported predominantly to the UK and EU.       

• Bottles - as part of Australian recycling programs, used bottles are returned to the manufacturer where they are broken down with the resultant material returned to the furnace and used again to manufacture glass.  PLW has introduced lower weight glass for some ranges which will assist in lowering the weight of freigh movements.
• Corks – a renewable resource and collected by the Australia Girl Guide Association for recycling
• Aluminium closures – these are being used increasingly instead of corks and are recyclable
• PVC capsules – are non-recyclable with usage reducing as we move to aluminium closures on our wines
• Labels – PLW purchases 98% of the labels from a local printing company which uses waterless inks and new technology to reduce paper wastage, toxic by-products and volatile organic compound emissions
• Cartons – approximately 95% of the cardboard purchased by PLW for use as cartons to package wines is manufactured from recycled material
• Stretchwrap is used to protect cartons of wines shipped on pallets. It is non-recyclable and we are looking at alternatives.
• Recyclable materials are used to package visitors’ purchases from PLW’s Cellar Door.

PLW is a member of an industry group which provides data on how much material enters the packaging waste stream from the distribution and sale of its wine to the National Packaging Covenant.  Over the last 3 years we have recorded the following average weights per 9 litre case of wine - 2009:7.09kg (2008: 7.21kg and 2007:7.14kg).  This varies depending upon the mix of wines sold but we expect to reduce weight further with the introduction of lighter weight bottles.

PLW plants shrubs and trees on the winery land to provide windbreaks, prevent soil erosion, provide habitat suitable for birds, and reduce the obtrusiveness of the building structures on the landscape.

PLW aims to provide an aesthetically pleasing environment for visitors to the Cellar Door outlet and its surrounding grounds. A computerised watering system, which operates at night when losses from evaporation are lower, has been installed to minimise water usage. The treated winery wastewater will be used to irrigate.  Mulch is used on the garden beds to reduce weeds and thus minimise the use of herbicides and watering.

Environmentally friendly features such as the collection of rainwater for water use and the installation of a solar powered hot water system have been installed into the extension on the western end of the Cellar Door building.

In cooler months wood fires warm the Cellar Door building. A 2003 CSIRO study for the Australian Greenhouse Office reported “sustainable firewood production systems have the potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions”. In future PLW will be able to harvest wood from its sugar gum plantation for use at Cellar Door.

To protect the nearby watercourse PLW participates in the local water resources board’s initiative to remove exotic trees and shrubs and re-establish indigenous plants along the North Para River bank side. Further along the river, a bush garden has been established to provide a reliable source of seed for revegetation projects and the preservation of the Barossa Valley’s environmental heritage.