Abstract
Low temperature industrial surplus heat represents a major energy source that is currently only rarely utilized due to its low quality. An agricluster allows for the leveraging of this low-quality heat and, hence, may improve the overall energy efficiency. This paper presents the novel concept of an agricluster driven by available surplus heat from industrial processes. We propose the integration of greenhouse production, insect rearing, fish rearing, and drying of seaweed using low temperature surplus heat from the aluminum industry. Each of these processes is already used in or investigated for utilization of surplus heat and partly coupled with other processes, such as in aquaponics. However, the integration of all processes in an agricluster—as proposed in this paper—may result in improved utilization of the surplus heat due to the different seasonality of the heat demand. The potential synergies of this integration approach are discussed in this paper. Furthermore, waste from one process can be utilized as an input stream to other processes, reducing the demand for external material input to the system. The proposed concept of an agricluster is especially interesting for the Nordic countries, as they are dependant on fresh food imports due to the low outside temperatures.
Highlights
It can be concluded that if the heat is provided from surplus heat and the electricity is decarbonized, as is the case in the Nordic Region, recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) may be on par with open net pen aquaculture with respect to greenhouse gas emission [95] while reducing the impact on other LCA factors, such as eutrophication [89] and water dependency [96]
Greenhouses and RAS systems are a source of biomass waste, and in this work, we propose its use within an agricluster as a feasible means to valorize the underutilized biomass
The overall scaling of the individual processes is dependent on the crops grown in the greenhouse, the proposed fish, and the potential for seaweed production in the vicinity of the cluster. Site specific characteristics, such as outside temperature or available space, may impact the chosen processes. This makes it complex to obtain an overview of the overall capital and operational expenses and, the profitability of such an agricluster without loss of generality, which is the aim of this paper
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Green Deal, which aims to make the European Union’s economy sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities [1]. This includes, among others, providing cleaner energy and a globally competitive and resilient industry in addition to improving the well-being of citizens with healthy and affordable food. Direct heat utilization in industrial processes requiring low temperature heating, such as food production, represents an attractive alternative for reducing overall energy demand. The proposed agricluster exploits the synergies of individual processes for the efficient utilization of industrial surplus heat for sustainable food production.
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