Industrial and urban symbiosis in Frövi

An industrial symbiosis that recycles energy and drives sustainable food production

WA3RM bases its operations on utilizing unused resources from industries and connecting waste streams with entrepreneurs, where emissions become resources instead. In Frövi’s case, it’s the excess heat from the paper mill that WA3RM recycles. By purchasing the waste heat and letting it play a central role in the cycle, a symbiosis is created that combines energy savings with sustainable food production. The waste heat from the industry is then returned to a 100,000 square meter greenhouse next to the paper mill, which produces 8,000 tons of tomatoes per year.

 

 

Excess heat is transported via pipes from the paper industry to the greenhouse, where it creates optimal growing conditions all year round. When the greenhouse is heated, the water carrying the waste heat cools down and is circulated back to the paper mill, where it is reused as cooling water.

Regenergy Frövi recycles a total of 50 GWh of energy and reduces carbon dioxide emissions by over 12,500 tons each year. The Billerud paper mill has therefore entered into a partnership that will significantly reduce emissions while the tomato farming itself is completely powered by recycled energy.

Driving forces and enablers

WA3RM, with their business model, is one of the driving forces behind the project in Frövi. Creating an industrial symbiosis of this kind sometimes requires external actors with ideas on how waste products can be reused in innovative ways. WA3RM identifying Billerud as a potential partner was a key factor in the project. Lindesberg Municipality has also played an important role in the process, managing the different planning phases, such as construction, labor needs, and how Regenergy Frövi was established in a smaller town like Frövi.

"We are very proud of Regenergy Frövi. This is a project we’ve been working on intensively for a long time, and we are happy to share the knowledge we’ve gained along the way. We know that there is international interest in learning about the successes in Frövi, and this shows that Regenergy Frövi can be a guide for similar projects that create industrial symbiosis," says Daniel Fagerlund, Business developer at Lindesberg Municipality.

The opportunity to build the greenhouse on adjacent land to the paper mill has also contributed to creating an industrial symbiosis, pushing the boundaries of how excess heat from industries, like Billerud in Frövi, can be used. Business Region Örebro (BRO) has acted as a bridge between WA3RM and the public sector to seek investment support.