Industrial Symbiosis
Industrial symbiosis
( brief summary made by Prof Randall Coffie Goedhoop)
Published: February 27, 2008
Lead Author: Marian Chertow
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Reid Lifset
Industrial symbiosis is part of a new field called industrial ecology. Industrial ecology is principally concerned with the flow of materials and energy through systems at different scales, from products to factories and up to national and global levels. Industrial symbiosis focuses on these flows through networks of businesses and other organizations in local and regional economies as a means of approaching ecologically sustainable industrial development. Industrial symbiosis engages traditionally separate industries in a collective approach to competitive advantage involving physical exchange of materials, energy, water, and/or by-products. The keys to industrial symbiosis are collaboration and the synergistic possibilities offered by geographic proximity.
Introduction
The term 'industrial symbiosis' was coined in the small municipality of Kalundborg, Denmark, where a well-developed network of dense firm interactions was encountered. The primary partners in Kalundborg, including an oil refinery, a power station, a gypsum board facility, and a pharmaceutical company, share ground water, surface water, wastewater, steam, and fuel, and they also exchange a variety of by-products that become feedstocks in other processes. High levels of environmental and economic efficiency have been achieved, leading to many other less tangible benefits involving personnel, equipment, and information sharing. Many other examples of industrial symbiosis exist around the world and illustrate how the concept is applied.
This article provides definitions of industrial symbiosis and related terms and discusses many elements of industrial symbiosis such as energy and water cascading, cogeneration, and materials exchange. It examines tools such as input/output matching,
( brief summary made by Prof Randall Coffie Goedhoop)
Published: February 27, 2008
Lead Author: Marian Chertow
This article has been reviewed by the following Topic Editor: Reid Lifset
Industrial symbiosis is part of a new field called industrial ecology. Industrial ecology is principally concerned with the flow of materials and energy through systems at different scales, from products to factories and up to national and global levels. Industrial symbiosis focuses on these flows through networks of businesses and other organizations in local and regional economies as a means of approaching ecologically sustainable industrial development. Industrial symbiosis engages traditionally separate industries in a collective approach to competitive advantage involving physical exchange of materials, energy, water, and/or by-products. The keys to industrial symbiosis are collaboration and the synergistic possibilities offered by geographic proximity.
Introduction
The term 'industrial symbiosis' was coined in the small municipality of Kalundborg, Denmark, where a well-developed network of dense firm interactions was encountered. The primary partners in Kalundborg, including an oil refinery, a power station, a gypsum board facility, and a pharmaceutical company, share ground water, surface water, wastewater, steam, and fuel, and they also exchange a variety of by-products that become feedstocks in other processes. High levels of environmental and economic efficiency have been achieved, leading to many other less tangible benefits involving personnel, equipment, and information sharing. Many other examples of industrial symbiosis exist around the world and illustrate how the concept is applied.
This article provides definitions of industrial symbiosis and related terms and discusses many elements of industrial symbiosis such as energy and water cascading, cogeneration, and materials exchange. It examines tools such as input/output matching,