Sweco’s comprehensive approach to industrial symbiosis

Industrial symbiosis is created by using waste from one operation as a resource in another operation and is a subset of the circular economy. It is a method for increasing industrial circularity by promoting transactions of information and residues to provide economic and environmental synergies in a network of industry actors.  

With Sweco’s comprehensive expertise in all areas of urban development, we can help clients drive the development of industrial and urban symbiosis through the entire process, from identifying suitable stakeholders to their physical integration. 

“When we visit our clients we get to see how they operate. This gives us the opportunity to bring solutions from one client and implement them with another client. We are a key factor and can really contribute to sustainable development,” says Emma Hartvik, Group Manager Energy & Process at Sweco Sweden. 

Kalundborg industrial park 

One of the earliest examples of industrial symbiosis on a large scale in Europe is the Kalundborg industrial park in Denmark. It brings together an increasing number of partners that are currently exchanging 20 resources, as diverse as biomass, gypsum and steam. 

Kalundborg annually saves 635,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by circulating resources, a figure that corresponds to emissions from 63,000 laps around the world by car. The water saving amounts to 3.5 million tonnes of drinking water per year, the business benefits that the symbiosis creates are estimated at 28 million dollars per year and the socio-economic value for Kalundborg municipality is estimated to be 15.6 million dollars. 

The companies in this symbiosis include everything from pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk to energy companies, biogas plants, a municipal waste company and Gyproc, a manufacturer of light construction materials. The water and sewage supplier Kalundborg Utility is responsible for a large part of the infrastructure and water treatment. 

Increased resource efficiency is a key component in the industrial transition towards net zero. 

Händelö Eco-Industrial Park

Händelö Eco-Industrial Park (HEIP) in Norrköping exemplifies industrial urban symbiosis, where industries and the city’s surplus resources form a collaborative system. This initiative showcases innovation and expertise in green renewable resource efficiency, preparing society for a more sustainable future. Since the 2000s, Händelö has fostered collaboration among multiple companies, gaining national and international recognition. Utilizing renewable and recycled energy from E.ON, HEIP ensures world-class climate performance for its products. 

“The basic recipe for this is quite simple. It’s about initiating conversations between these stakeholders, who are often used to focusing only on themselves, working in their own silo and wanting to be independent. Today, it is very important to start collaborating, which means meeting frequently, trusting each other and having confidence in one another. Good things will come out of that,” says Ian Hamilton, Project Manager at HEIP. 

HEIP excels in the biobased and circular economy, with Lantmännen Biorefineries producing ethanol with a minimal carbon footprint and converting carbon dioxide into sustainable products. Multi-million investments will soon expand its world-class offerings. The park aims to become a comprehensive cluster of interdependent businesses, partnering with Norrköping Municipality to combine research, manufacturing and green industries, leading the shift to a biobased and circular economy. 

Sweco has contributed with expertise for many years across various disciplines, from energy and process work to electrical engineering, automation, project management, environmental assignments and construction engineering.