Common Sense in Kalundborg
This morning the crew hopped an early train from Central Station in Copenhagen. Destination Kalundborg, Denmark! As soon as we arrived we were whisked away in vans, stowed at a secret lecture hall, and given a special treat (Photo, Right). This my friends, is the best danish that I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. It was extremely delicate and flaky and complimented this simple cup of coffee. Today is not for compliments, however, today is for learning about industrial symbiosis.
I call this common sense, because it really doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the waste from one industry (say excess heat from a power plant) could benefit another industry (say saving money on heating water). That's exactly what started going on in Kalundborg approximately 30 years ago. There are numerous industries that depend on eachother for waste products -- which are in turn, recycled. There are three categories -- energy (mentioned above), water, and waste. The main source of energy is the heated water which comes from the power plant that we toured (Photos, Below). Yes it's true, our hardhats say DONG on them.
On the waste recycling side of things, we toured Nordo Nordisk. They are a Danish company that produces than 40% of the world's supply of insulin. The main waste product from Novo Nordisk’s insulin production is a nutrient-rich organic material known as yeast sludge. This waste product is recycled either as pig feed (Video, Below) or as raw material for biogas generation. The biomass undergoes heat treatment to ensure that all microorganisms are killed.
Yeah! Yeast sludge!! MmmmMMmmmmmmm . . . .
I guess the conundrum is really whether or not these symbiotic relationships should be forced, fostered, or let occur naturally. There isn't much you can do to make them happen other than create an environment, such as a type of business park, where people from the various industries can come into contact with one another -- potentially spurring ideas -- not just from the industrial symbiosis standpoint. Proximity and contact could potentially result in the sharing of other facilities -- for example, shared gyms for employees of the various companies.
After Novo Nordisk we were treated to a nice meal of Yeast Sludge... just kidding! We were actually treated to a nice restaurant at the train station that served authentic Danish food. And Carlsberg, too! Honestly, I wish someone would have been there to teach me how this meal was actually supposed to be constructed on my plate -- with the various sauces, jellies, and pickled items, but I think we did OK because no one left hungry. Several students even realized their true love for pickled herring. Watch out Ma Bensch -- there might be a run on herring when we get back to Milwaukee!
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