Industrial and urban symbiosis in Lidköping

Overview

Located on the Västra Götaland plain between agricultural land and the southern shore of Lake Vänern, Lidköping thrives with industrial symbiosis based around grain and food processing. In this bioeconomic loop, renewable resources, renewable energy, and renewable nutrients flow seamlessly. At the heart of this network is Lantmännen Reppe, a wheat-based biorefinery that originally began as an ethanol-producing vodka business. The nearby combined heat and power plant supplies Reppe with process steam and energy, sourced from renewable or recycled materials. In this bioeconomy, organic and renewable materials are central, creating a circular process where nutrients from biogas production are returned to agriculture to produce new products within the system. The symbiosis development in the region has evolved from being sporadic and self-organized to increasingly facilitated by proactive actors. Key players in Lidköping, besides Lantmännen Reppe, include Gasum Lidköping AB, Lidköping Municipality, Fordonsgas Sverige AB, Fazer Kvarn, Lidköping Energi, and neighboring agricultural businesses.

Highlights

Process energy is supplied by the local combined heat and power plant to nearby food processors. Waste and organic by-products from industry are used as substrates for biogas production. The symbiosis was the first in Sweden to produce liquid biogas for vehicle fuel. The digestate from biogas production is returned to farms to reintegrate nutrients into the soil.

Drivers and enablers

The development of industrial and urban symbiosis in Lidköping has been driven by financial interests, environmental and climate-related regulations, guidelines, and policies. Lidköping Municipality has played a crucial role in this development. In addition to introducing policies that have pushed the development forward, they have facilitated good communication between the actors in the region. The municipality is working to develop a symbiosis function within the local area to further support collaboration. Various government investment programs have also been a contributing factor to the development, with parts of the investments in the combined heat and power plant and biogas facility being funded. The biogas plant's certification has acted both as a driver and a barrier, as it dictates and limits which raw materials and by-products can be used in the production process.