• The VitiAQUA-Doñana project will comprehensively analyze the water cycle in wineries in the Doñana area and will lay the foundations for a sustainable, replicable model aligned with European regulations.
• The initiative forms part of the Doñana Revitalization call promoted by the Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation of the Ministry of Science within the Socioeconomic Action Framework for Doñana of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

Sanlúcar de Barrameda, February 13. Bodegas Barbadillo and Water Challenge have launched VitiAQUA-Doñana, a scientific project aimed at improving water management in the wine industry in the Doñana area, one of the most sensitive natural spaces in Europe. The initiative includes the participation of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) as scientific partner, and has funding of 400,000 euros from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, through the Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI), within the Socioeconomic Framework of Actions for Doñana of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge.

The project, which will be developed over 14 months, starts from a context marked by increasing pressure on water resources, the progressive tightening of regulatory requirements, and the need to move towards more efficient and sustainable production models. In this scenario, VitiAQUA-Doñana seeks to offer the wine sector realistic, validated solutions consistent with current regulations, without compromising economic viability or territorial coherence.

VitiAQUA-Doñana will take Bodegas Barbadillo, a historic winery and benchmark of the Jerez Region, as a case study in order to carry out a comprehensive diagnosis of its water cycle. The analysis will identify uses, consumption, processes and effluent streams, as well as opportunities for improvement in treatment, reuse and water efficiency. The project will also address the regulatory framework applicable to water use and effluent management in the agri-food industry, taking into account the regulatory and socioeconomic particularities of the Doñana area.

“The sustainability of winery activity and cultivation is a key aspect for a company with more than 200 years of history, closely linked to its territory and committed to innovation from its own vineyards. This scientific project allows us to deepen along that path and continue strengthening a solid and responsible growth model,” stated Víctor Vélez, general manager of Bodegas Barbadillo.

Another of the central axes of the project will be the comparison of water treatment technologies currently used in wineries with innovative solutions aimed at zero discharge. In this field, Water Challenge, in addition to its role as coordinator of VitiAQUA-Doñana, will contribute its experience in advanced fluid treatment technologies, which make it possible to recover high-quality water and valorize waste within a circular economy approach, with lower energy consumption than other traditional solutions.

“VitiAQUA-Doñana represents a very relevant opportunity both for the Doñana area and for the wine sector, since it will allow us to rigorously evaluate the water-saving potential of the production process and move towards water reuse models that avoid the extraction of new resources from the environment,” stated Susana García, CEO of Water Challenge.

“We want to make a diagnosis of water uses, and study how we can reduce consumption and how we can reuse it. In addition, we are going to take advantage of the experience of a technology company to evaluate the process and study the valorization of the waste generated in water treatment,” emphasized CSIC research professor at ICMAN, Julián Blasco, in relation to the scientific advisory role that the public research body will carry out.

Science to define a new model

The CSIC, through its specialized institutes (Institute of Marine Sciences of Andalusia, ICMAN, and Institute of Materials Science of Seville, ICMS), will play a key role in the scientific rigor of the project, the environmental and territorial analysis, and the integration of the results from a socioeconomic perspective. In addition, it will be responsible for coordinating workshops and participatory meetings with wineries, agri-food companies, public administrations and other actors in the territory, with the aim of validating the results and facilitating their transfer to the sector.

The project will culminate with the definition of a sustainable and replicable water management model for the wine industry in the Doñana area, as well as with the preparation of a complete R&D&I project proposal that will make it possible to develop, from 2027 onwards, a full-scale demonstration project.

With VitiAQUA-Doñana, Bodegas Barbadillo, Water Challenge and the CDTI of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities are committed to public-private collaboration between company, science and territory as a way to address the environmental and productive challenges of the wine sector, in a high environmental value enclave such as the Doñana area.

About Bodegas Barbadillo

Founded in 1821 in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Bodegas Barbadillo is one of the historic firms of the Jerez Region and a benchmark of the Spanish wine sector. With a strong link to the territory and to sustainability, the winery combines tradition and innovation in wine production and in the continuous improvement of its productive processes.

About Water Challenge

Water Challenge is a Spanish technology company specialized in advanced solutions for the treatment of contaminated fluids. Its patented technology makes it possible to recover high-quality water and valorize solid waste under a zero-discharge and circular economy model, with applications in sectors such as the agri-food industry, desalination, mining or industrial waste management.

About CSIC

The Spanish National Research Council is a public research body dependent on the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities that carries out basic and applied research in all areas of human knowledge. It currently has 121 research institutes distributed throughout the national territory, of which 69 are fully owned, 50 are joint, and two are associated. It also integrates three national centers (INIA, IGME and IEO).

Action Frameworks for Doñana

This initiative is included in Line 4 of Industry of the Socioeconomic Framework of Actions for Doñana of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), promoted by the Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI) of the Ministry of Science to catalyze innovative solutions that harmonize environmental conservation, socioeconomic revitalization and technological excellence and sustainable territorial development of the area of influence of the Doñana natural space.

With a planned investment exceeding 700 million euros, MITECO has designed two Action Frameworks for this natural space, a comprehensive strategy pioneering in its application that combines environmental restoration, social sensitivity and economic diversification, seeking to safeguard the ecological values of Doñana and contribute to sustainable economic development integrated with the needs of the environment.