The Industrial Symbiosis at Kalundborg, Denmark

The concept of sustainable development is extensively referenced by politicians,

industrialists, and the press. Although agreement exists in principle about the meaning of this
concept, many differing opinions exist as to what it means in practice and how the concept
should be translated into specific actions.

The industrial symbiosis project at Kalundborg, Denmark

is a model of environmental sustainability that has attracted a good deal of

international attention. The project has been awarded several environmental prizes for its
innovative approach to waste management and its overall positive impact on the local
community. The symbiosis project is not the result of a careful environmental planning
process, but rather the result of a gradual cooperative evolution of four neighboring industries
and the Kalundborg municipality. Although begun by chance, the project has now developed
into a high level of environmental consciousness, in which the participants are constantly
exploring new avenues of environmental cooperation.

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

is a partnership between 9 public and private companies in Kalundborg, Denmark.

Since 1972, the companies have been developing the world's first industrial symbiosis with a
circular approach to production. This means that instead of waste products being produced
and disposed of, they are used as raw materials for other industries in the symbiosis. As a
result, the companies have been able to reduce their environmental impact, save money, and
create new jobs.

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 Kalundborg symbiosis is a cooperative arrangement between four industrial

facilities and the local municipality. The facilities include a power plant, an oil refinery, a
plaster-board manufacturing plant, and a biotechnology production facility. The arrangement
allows the facilities to share resources and waste products, which helps to improve efficiency
and reduce environmental impact.

 The article "The Industrial Symbiosis at Kalundborg, Denmark" discusses the

concept of industrial symbiosis, whereby different industrial facilities work together
to share resources and minimize waste. The author provides an overview of the
Kalundborg Symbiosis, which is considered to be one of the most successful
examples of industrial symbiosis in the world.

 The power plant in question is Asnæsværket, located in Denmark. It is the largest

power plant in the country, with a capacity of 1,500 megawatts. Around 600 people
are employed there. The plant runs on coal, making it a major contributor to
Denmark's carbon emissions.

 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.

The Novo Nordisk biotechnology facility in Kalundborg, Denmark, is the company's

largest production site with 1,100 employees. Novo Nordisk produces about 45 percent of the
world market of insulin and about 50 percent of the world market of enzymes at this facility.
In addition, the company produces substantial quantities of growth hormones and other
pharmaceutical products. Novo Nordisk operates in several countries, but the Kalundborg
plant is its largest production site.

The Kalundborg municipality is responsible for the distribution of water, electricity,

and district heating in the Kalundborg city area. This includes ensuring that these services are
delivered reliably and efficiently to residents and businesses. The municipality also sets the
rates for these services.

Industrial symbiosis reduces waste and pollution

Kalundborg, Denmark, is a prime example of industrial symbiosis (IS). IS is a concept
where coordination among different kinds of industrial operations enables the use of each
other's by-products and wastes, closing loops of energy, water, materials and waste. Centred
on a combined-heat-and-power (CHP) station, Kalundborg's IS-network involves many kinds
of actors. It has achieved high savings in resources and pollution reductions.

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.

Scarce groundwater drives cooperation

In Kalundborg, the development of IS was driven partly by low groundwater supplies,
which meant that expanding production in the area required a diversified water supply.
Development of the IS network has centred on the CHP plant, in particular because of its
water-consuming processes that have enabled cooling water and wastewater exchanges.

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 activity field:

Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply

Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities

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:

Bottom-line savings of 24 million €

14 million € in socio-economic savings

635,000 tons of CO2

3,6 million m3 water

100 GWh of energy

87,000 tons of materials

REFERENCES:

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