Industrial Symbiosis and Energy Efficiency in European Process Industries: A Review

Teresa Annunziata Branca, Barbara Fornai, Valentina Colla, Maria Ilaria Pistelli, Eros Luciano Faraci, Filippo Cirilli and Antonius Johannes Schröder
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Teresa Annunziata Branca: Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, TeCIP Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Barbara Fornai: Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, TeCIP Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Valentina Colla: Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, TeCIP Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy
Maria Ilaria Pistelli: RINA CONSULTING—Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A. (CSM), 00128 Roma, Italy
Eros Luciano Faraci: RINA CONSULTING—Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A. (CSM), 00128 Roma, Italy
Filippo Cirilli: RINA CONSULTING—Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A. (CSM), 00128 Roma, Italy
Antonius Johannes Schröder: Sozialforschungsstelle, Technische Universität Dortmund, D-44339 Dortmund, Germany

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-37

Abstract: Over the last few decades, process industries have invested increasing efforts in developing technical and operating solutions related to industrial symbiosis and energy efficiency in both production processes and auxiliary services. In particular, new technologies that enable industrial symbiosis, such as novel treatment processes for byproduct extraction and valorization, water purification, and energy transformation, were implemented in different sectors. This work analyses recent relevant results in the implementation of industrial symbiosis and energy efficiency solutions within process industries across Europe, based on the transactions of energy and material flows. Current developments, based on the circular economy’s transformation levers and related achieved results, were taken into account by considering the achieved results coming from the literature, EU-funded projects, programmes, and initiatives on the implementation of technical solutions and practices related to industrial symbiosis and energy efficiency. In addition, the most relevant challenges deriving from the implementations of industrial symbiosis and energy efficiency were analysed. A comprehensive picture of the sectors involved in achieving more proactive cross-sectorial cooperation and integration was provided, as well as an analysis of the main drivers and barriers for IS and EE implementation in future scenarios for European process industries.

Keywords: industrial symbiosis; energy efficiency; energy-intensive industries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:16:p:9159-:d:615129

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