Over the past few months, TransFIRe has been working with project partner International Synergies Ltd on their first industrial symbiosis workshop, generating a range of exciting results with the potential to reduce cost, cut carbon emissions and reduce waste disposal for foundation industries.
The workshop brought together around 50 participants from over 30 organisations with the aim of bringing together the six foundation industries (cement, chemicals, ceramics, metals, glass and paper), with representation from their respective supply chains, to identify opportunities for industrial symbiosis.
Companies exchanged information on the resources, wastes and by-products they had and which they could benefit from, highlighting a significant number of industrial symbiosis synergies, some quick wins and other longer term innovation opportunities. These are currently being taken forward and developed by the TransFIRe team in close collaboration with our project partners.
Out of the 172 resources presented, 83 ideas, or potential synergies, were generated!
Dr Lampros Litos, Lecturer on Sustainable Manufacturing Operations at Cranfield University and current work stream leader on this research said “This knowledge brokerage event rose above typical and non-typical barriers to enable industry to exchange information on a symbiotical level, creating opportunties to convert wastestreams into valuable feedstock for other processes. Part of the challenges were technical, but there can be low hanging fruits that only become visible when we take the time out of busy lives to revisit options with new partners”
Key to the transformation of our foundation industries will be development of smart, new materials and processes that enable cheaper, lower energy and lower-carbon products. Through supporting a combination of fundamental research and focused technology development, TransFIRe is directly addressing these needs. For example, all sectors have material waste streams that could be used as raw materials for other sectors in the industrial landscape with little or no further processing. There is great potential to add more value by “upcycling” waste by further processes to develop new materials and alternative by-products from innovative processing technologies with less environmental impact. This requires novel industrial symbioses and relationships, sustainable and circular business models and governance arrangements.
The next Industrial Symbiosis Workshop, which will build on this work, will be held in April 2023 (further details to follow). For more information or to reserve your space, please contact Joanna Johnson on joanna.johnson@cranfield.ac.uk.