Page 112 - Biorefinery 2030 Future Prospects for the Bioeconomy (2015)

80 3 Industrial Symbiosis at the Bazancourt-Pomacle Biorefinery

Conclusion
The symbiosis implemented at the Bazancourt-Pomacle biorefinery is very com-
prehensive and complex. The biorefinery’s development was a question of seizing
opportunities at the right time. It is important, then, to bear in mind that these
different flows advanced progressively. They are the result of the collective history
of the different firms on the site, and have developed over the years since the
establishment of the sugar factory in 1953.
For example, initially the ARD research centre extracted and processed the
water it needed internally. Later, as its activity developed, it was forced to use
water from CHAMTOR in addition to its own production. Such links established
between firms enabled them to adapt to new needs and to develop innovative
solutions where necessary.
The success of the symbiosis can also be explained by a range of different
reasons:

– Economic rationality. The different exchanges set up are regulated by coherent
financial agreements, through which prices are set in line with market prices.
– Economic advantages: the flows are economically beneficial in terms of com-
petitiveness, although at the current time it is difficult to assess the full scope of
this. According to some of our respondents, such advantage is sought after, but
does not alone justify the establishment of any one of the industrial firms on
the site.
– Fair returns for the quality of the research carried out on site by engineers and
technicians who are demanding and proud of their work.
– The implementation of an ideal in terms of circular economy as defined at the
outset of ARD (use the whole of a plant, refuse the idea of waste...)
– and, of course, the response to regulatory requirements developed over the year
both nationally and in Europe.

References

Chertow M-R (2004) Industrial symbiosis. In: Cleveland CJ (ed) Encyclopedia of energy.
Elsevier, Oxford
Erkman S (2004) Vers une e ´cologie industrielle: comment mettre en pratique le de ´veloppement
durable dans une socie ´te ´ hyper-industrielle. Charles Le ´opold Mayer, Paris
Lombardi R, Laybourn P (2012) Redefining industrial symbiosis – crossing academic – practi-
tioner boundaries. J Ind Ecol 16(1):28–37

Websites

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/resource_efficiency/
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/resource_efficiency/pdf/com2011_571.pdf