In Sweden, ethanol producer Lantmännen Agroetanol AB, part of the Lantmännen Group, has announced that it has signed an agreement with energy utility E.ON for the continued supply of process steam to Agroetanol's biorefinery in Norrköping. The 20-year multibillion SEK off-take deal places high standards on the climate performance of the process energy supplied by E.ON's neighbouring waste-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant.
The new agreement covers 500 GWh of steam, which corresponds to half the district heating needs of a city the size of Norrköping. The agreement has been reached between two companies with high aims when it comes to sustainability.
We are extremely pleased to receive this continued vote of confidence. Our partnership is an exceptional example of a circular industrial economy, something we are incredibly proud of. Our aim is to drive the energy switch in Sweden by streamlining, recovering, and sharing sustainable energy. Our partnership with Lantmännen Agroetanol is an exemplary example of how the smart use of energy and resources can create both environmental sustainability and economic growth, said Per-Anders Tauson, Director City Energy Solutions at E.ON.
Lantmännen Agroetanol is the largest cereal-grain biorefinery in the Nordics converting feed grain and food waste into fuel ethanol with up to 98 percent lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared to fossil fuels. In addition to biofuel, products such as animal feed, biofertilizer, and green CO2 for the food industry are also produced in the process.
Lantmännen Agroetanol CEO Lars-Gunnar Edh agrees and emphasizes that the companies have found common ground in their sustainability work.
This new agreement is of great importance enabling us to make future investments. A continuous and long-term supply of sustainable green process steam is key to our future investments. Having said that, circular thinking and renewable energy are already self-evident components of our production, said Lars-Gunnar Edh.
Part of Händelö Eco-Industrial Park
Lantmännen Agroetanol and E.ON are members of the Municipality of Norrköping Händelö Eco-Industrial Park partnership, that leverages synergies between energy companies and process industries. E.ON’s combined heat and power (CHP) that supplies process steam for Lantmännen Agroetanol’s production, is fuelled using non-recyclable municipal solid waste (MSW).
According to Norrköping Municipal Commissioner Olle Vikmång, the new agreement is a cornerstone of the industrial park. He now hopes more companies can be persuaded to become part of the Eco-Industrial Park.
I am convinced that creative industrial companies such as E.ON and Lantmännen Agroetanol have shown that you can run a successful business and at the same time make sustainability a key focus. These industrial symbiosis partnerships in the sustainability area will play a key role in reaching very tough environmental targets, ended Olle Vikmång.
