Industrial clusters enable more efficient use of by-products and waste

Using by-products and waste streams as raw materials for new production processes has become a successful strategy for improving resource efficiency, and the concept of chemical parks or industrial clusters where by-products and waste could be exchanged between companies is becoming mainstream.

Five clusters comprising of various industrial plants have recently been analysed as part of the EU-funded EPOS project which aims to explore their potential for industrial symbiosis and more efficient exchange of raw materials and by-products.

The most advanced example of cross-sectorial symbiosis opportunities in EPOS can be found in Hull, UK, where CEMEX, a cement company, could use liquid waste from INEOS, a petrochemicals company. It could also take chalk reject material from OMYA, a producer of industrial minerals and return its cement kiln dust to OMYA’s quarry.

Click here to find out more about the EPOS clusters and by product exchange. To learn more about how the chemical industry contributes to resource efficiency, click here.