Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster: a New Paradigm for a Local Circular Economy in Renewable Energy and Waste Recycling in Poland

POLICY BRIEF POLAND Aerial view of the Slupsk Waterworks wastewater treatment plant in Poland. Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster: a new paradigm for a local circular economy in renewable energy and waste recycling in Poland Authors Mark Rasmussen (SEI), Marek Giełczewski (WULS), Andrzej Wójtowicz (Słupsk Waterworks), Karina Barquet (SEI), Arno Rosemarin (SEI) Municipal officials and local business leaders in the Polish city of Słupsk aren’t waiting for the benefits of the circular economy in renewable energy production and waste recycling to come to their corner of the Baltic Sea Region. They’re making it happen now from the ground up and demonstrating how these transitions can be designed and operationalized at the city-county level. In 2020, the Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster will reach a critical milestone when completion of a new energy distribution system will link 20 participating businesses and city facilities, 40 000 electricity users and 120 000 wastewater customers – all part of an innovative renewable energy sharing and waste recycling system. BONUS RETURN Policy Brief February 2020 BONUS RETURN Policy Brief February 2020 The Cluster is the brainchild of Słupsk Waterworks (Wodociągi Słupsk), the publicly owned agency that operates the Słupsk Wastewater Treatment Plant. It builds on the plant’s 20- ANAEROBIC STABILIZED BIOMASS AGRICULTURE year track record of success in pollution reduction, sludge composting and reuse, and bio- REMEDIATION ENVIRONMENT gas energy production. This brief looks at how this innovative cluster is serving as a living OWN SLUDGE FROM SŁUPSK WWTP 215 GJ SŁUPSK BIOGAS PURIFICATION AND laboratory for small cities seeking to make the transition to a circular economy model, STORAGE ORGANIC FERTILIZER BIOREFINERY ENGINES COMPOSTING founded in low cost, shared renewable energy production and waste recycling. BIOTOP DISINTEGRATION WET BIOGAS Building on a solid foundation out of Poland’s 47 largest WWTPs (see energy in the form of wind and solar NON-STABILIZED SLUDGE FROM HYDROLYSIS FERMENTATION ORGANIC OTHER WWTPS IN SŁUPSK COUNTY THP 195 GJ WZKF – Słupsk Waterworks is one of graph below). This feature is an impor- photovoltaics – new sources of power that 15 GJ PASTEURIZATION OF RECYCLING HOUSEHOLD HYGIENISATION NPK + ORG. SUB. Poland’s top performers tant factor in attracting and retaining can be difficult to integrate into old ANIMAL WASTES AEROBIC STABILIZATION łupsk is located in northern businesses in the region. transmission systems. Słupsk Waterworks POWER SUPPLY SURPLUS OF OTHER FACILITIES PERCOLACTION Poland, near where the Słupia Słupsk Waterworks strives to be more stepped in to meet this challenge as its COGENERATION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY POSSIBILITY TO SELECT DRY SLUDGE FROM OIL – WATER A TYPE OF FERMENTATION CHP River drains into the Baltic Sea. than a wastewater plant and thinks of managers saw an opportunity to leverage SEPARATION FERMENTATION 15% 30 GJ Its population is approximately itself as a regional hub for innovation in the tremendous community asset they had PUMPING STATION S RING + 90 000 and the city is the administrative services and waste recycling that promotes created. The Słupsk WWTP was already BORCHARDTA no transformation centre for the surrounding county, which economic development and environmental making electricity and heat through the TRANSFORMATOR BIOWASTES has approximately the same number of quality. It pursues an ambitious develop- generation of biogas from its sludge resi - 15 GJ HEAT-EXCHANGER BOILER-PLANT residents. ment vision which aims to achieve Zero dues, and saw the potential in generating SCREENINGS GZ 50 AQUA PARK NATURAL GAS OR OTHER YEARLONG GREEN WASTES 25 GJ FROM PROFESSIONAL RECEIVER The Słupsk wastewater treatment Sewage (through pollutant removal, water much more. So, they called on businesses 25 GJ NETWORK ? GJ (as needed) plant (WWTP) is considered by many to recovery), Zero Emissions (through GHG in the area, many of which were already OTHER MECHANICAL POLLUTED SURPLUS TOTAL BIOENERGY BIOWASTES HEAT RECOVERED FROM OF HEAT ENERGY be the model WWTP in Poland. In addition reduction), Zero Waste (through resource producing their own solar and wind energy, POTENTIAL i.e. FROM CEMENTARIES TREATED SEWAGE 80-100 GJ to its core function of providing the highest recovery, organic recycling), and Zero to join them in meeting the regional need. ~ 335 GJ/day 10 GJ 60 GJ standard of sewage treatment, it has Wasted Energy (through energy efficiency, At its core, the idea was simple: you Circular Economy in City of Słupsk – Concept of Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster, Poland. been a leader in biogas generation as well renewable energy cluster). give us your waste and we all make more as sludge composting and reuse for more This kind of leadership and proactive power together. The Cluster would than 20 years. A profitable by-product is planning has led Słupsk Waterworks to combine energy users with energy the successful BIOTOP fertilizer, which is take on its largest project to date – the suppliers and have all of them send their high in phosphorus, and certified for field development of the Słupsk Bioenergy wastewater (and even their biomass formed in October 2017 with 19 founding fruits of the Cluster won’t be fully realized Słupsk WWTP plays the unique role of application, thereby returning nutrients Cluster. waste, such as lawn clippings) to the members, both generators and users of until 2020, when its distribution system merging sludge-generated biogas (for from wastewater to the same catchment, Słupsk WWTP. By joining forces, they set energy, all of which were waste producers. linking all partners is completed. An early returning into the Cluster system as heat) The Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster providing an early example of a circular out to produce more reliable, renewable Słupsk Waterworks was established as the challenge identified by the partners was and sludge composting (with its resulting economy for waste. In 2015, the City of Słupsk was having a electricity and heat at low costs as well as managing coordinator of the initiative as the need to build their own electricity grid recycled phosphorus fertilizer product) The diversification of the plant’s func- hard time providing reliable power to recycle more local nutrients recaptured well as a contributing energy partner. capable of handling renewables and to into the primary energy scheme. It is a tions is part of the reason why Słupsk major energy users. They also wanted to from the sewage sludge. The scope of the Cluster is defined by its “work around” the area’s major estab- strong example of how whole-system WWTP ranks as the third cheapest to run expand the development of renewable The Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster was officially lished energy suppliers thinking can lead to new opportunities to (primarily coal-based) who craft circular economy solutions. won’t allow them to use their The Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster provides Średnie ceny za dostawę wodę oraz odbiór i oczyszczanie ścieków w miastach powyżej 75 tys. mieszkańców na tle cen w Słupsku w 2018 roku “ At its core, the idea was wg. Raportu IGWP [zł/m3] transmission lines. But a framework for overcoming many of the Average prices for water supply and collection and treatment of sewage in cities with more than 75 000 inhabitants compared to Słupsk prices in 2018. because the aim of the cluster multidimensional barriers affecting new Source: report by Polish Waterworks Chamber of Commerce. simple: you give us your is not to put energy into the circular economy innovations. First, it is 20 waste and we all make main system, but to supply the grounded in the capabilities of Słupsk 18 cluster members with Waterworks and its 20 years of technical 16 10,57 more power together” renewable energy from a experience at the WWTP. Second, it has 8,5 14 9,59 reliable source, the system worked hard to earn support and finan- 9,45 8,61 8,62 8,55 8,95 8,29 7,04 12 8,37 generation of electricity, heat and biofuels was designed to be self-sufficient in terms cing from local and national government 7,05 7,17 7,14 7,28 7,18 5,96 in both conventional and renewable energy of energy production and use. as well as from the EU, thereby easing 6,71 6,51 10 6,57 5,95 6,75 7,56 6,24 6,44 6,08 6,54 5,27 6,45 5,94 4,87 5,96 6,63 installations. But its holistic approach also the transitions in policy and infrastruc- 5,65 6,02 5,37 8 5,67 5,15 5,19 4,23 4,37 4,46 4,91 5,19 What are the potential gains for the 5,13 5,16 7,66 sees them working on the distribution, ture investments needed for the cluster 3,61 6 7,41 6,91 6,18 circular economy? 5,82 5,82 5,82 5,78 balancing and storage of energy for concept to succeed. Lastly, the effort is 5,72 5,56 5,51 5,43 4 5,23 5,16 5,15 5,09 5,09 4,95 4,78 4,75 4,74 4,69 4,68 4,68 4,64 4,48 4,48 4,34 4,32 4,32 4,21 3,91 3,91 3,89 3,89 3,88 3,84 members, waste recycling and local reuse, Słupsk Waterworks reports that there is highly coordinated between municipal 3,76 3,72 3,66 3,56 3,47 3,28 2 3,26 2,8 3,01 2,67 energy efficiency and renewable vehicle currently a queue for joining the Cluster officials and business partners in an open 0 and transport system improvements across and there are already plans for opening collaboration based on well-articulated Łódź Tychy Płock Kalisz Kielce Opole Lublin Elbląg Toruń Zabrze Rybnik Bytom Gliwice Poznań LegnicaOlsztynGdańskRadom Kraków TarnówGdynia Siedlce Słupsk Chorzów Katowice WrocławSzczecin Koszalin Rzeszów Białystok Wałbrzych Jaworzno Bydgoszcz Warszawa Grudziądz AVERAGE Nowy Sącz Ruda Śląska Sosnowiec Włocławek Jelenia Góra Zielona Góra Częstochowa Bielsko-Biała the Cluster, and research, marketing and the partnership to new entrants once the goals and responsibilities.

Load more