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The Industrial Symbiosis at Kalundborg
The Industrial Symbiosis at Kalundborg
Industrial symbiosis is the process whereby a waste product in one industry is turned
into a resource for use in one or more other industries. It is a well-functioning ecosystem
where cooperation among different industries in the use of waste increases the viability of the
industries. The demands from society for resource conservation and environmental protection
are met.
Kalundborg Symbiosis
The main principle behind Kalundborg Symbiosis is that companies can benefit both
the environment and the economy by working together to reuse resources. By collaborating
and being open to new opportunities, the partners of Kalundborg Symbiosis have been able to
create growth in the local area while also supporting each other's CSR efforts and climate
change mitigation.
The Kalundborg Symbiosis is a renowned example of industrial symbiosis in action.
Located in Denmark, the Symbiosis is a cooperative effort between a variety of businesses
and organizations that exchange material, water, and energy streams in order to increase
resilience and economic gains, while reducing environmental impact and expenses. Building
a functioning industrial symbiosis is not about working together for the sake of each other
and the environment, but a continual search for a better way of doing business. Projects
completed over the years range from algae production facilities to bio-ethanol production,
with some projects already being implemented at larger scales.
The Statoil oil refinery in Denmark is the largest in the country with a capacity of 3
million tons per year. It is currently undergoing an expansion to double its size to 5
million tons per year. The refinery employs about 250 people.
The plaster-board manufacturing plant, owned by Gyproc a.s., produces about 14
million square meters per year of plaster-board for the building industry. It employs
about 175 people. The plant is located in the Czech Republic.
Symbiosis by exchange
In Kalundborg, IS involves many exchanges. For example, process steam from the
Asnaes combined heat and power (CHP) station is used by an oil refinery (Statoil), a
biotechnology company (Novo Nordisk), and a biotechnology company (Novozymes). This
reduced oil consumption by 20,000 tonnes and water consumption by 25% in one annual
estimate. The Ash from Asnaes Power Station is used by construction and cement companies.
The Gypsum from Asnaes' sulphur scrubbers is made into plasterboard. The CHP station's
cooling water is used in aquaculture and its lime is used as farming fertilizer. By-products of
Novo Nordisk’s production enzymes have also been transformed into fertilizer at a large
scale (1.5 million m3 annually).
Savings in resources
The IS network provides steam energy to a CHP plant and a refinery, and gas to
another company. The majority of the network's water usage comes from the CHP plant and
refinery, while the largest consumers of energy are the CHP plant and the company that uses
gas from the network. This gas usage has allowed the company to reduce its oil consumption
costs by up to 95%.
Fossil fuels are still used intensively in Kalundborg, with the Asnaes CHP station
relying on coal and heavy fuel oil. While the concept of IS is compatible with the transition to
a renewable future, the challenge remains to wean the city off its dependence on fossil fuels.
A degree of coordination by government and among network actors is the basis for
industrial symbiosis. For example, key factors are satisfying the regulatory and information
requirements for resource recognition and exchange, and creating sufficiently large
economies of scale.
Main results:
Kalundborg Symbiosis has evolved organically over the past six decades, with joint projects
being created when the business case and collaboration showed promise. These do however
end when the business case ceases to be profitable. Every year the partners benefit from:
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Schematic-of-Kalundborg-Industrial-
Symbiosis_fig2_227965735
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/4982/chapter/10#123
https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/en/good-practices/kalundborg-symbiosis-six-
decades-circular-approach-production