Toward a Carbon Dioxide Neutral Industrial Park A Case Study

The industrial park of Herdersbrug (Brugge, Flanders, Belgium) comprises 92 small and medium-sized enterprises, a waste-to-energy incinerator, and a power plant (not included in the study) on its site. To study the carbon dioxide (CO(2)) neutrality of the park, we made a park-wide inventory for 2007 of the CO(2) emissions due to energy consumption (electricity and fossil fuel) and waste incineration, as well as an inventory of the existing renewable electricity and heat generation. The definition of CO(2) neutrality in Flanders only considers CO(2) released as a consequence of consumption or generation of electricity, not the CO(2) emitted when fossil fuel is consumed for heat generation. To further decrease or avoid CO(2) emissions, we project and evaluate measures to increase renewable energy generation. The 21 kilotons (kt) of CO(2) emitted due to electricity consumption are more than compensated by the 25 kt of CO(2) avoided by generation of renewable electricity. Herdersbrug Industrial Park is thus CO(2) neutral, according to the definition of the Flemish government. Only a small fraction (6.6%) of the CO(2) emitted as a consequence of fossil fuel consumption (heat generation) and waste incineration is compensated by existing and projected measures for renewable heat generation. Of the total CO(2) emission (149 kt) due to energy consumption (electricity + heat generation) and waste incineration on the Herdersbrug Industrial Park in 2007, 70.5% is compensated by existing and projected renewable energy generated in the park. Forty-seven percent of the yearly avoided CO(2) corresponds to renewable energy generated from waste incineration and biomass fermentation.