Improvements of the overall sustainability of process industries from an economic, environmental and social point of view require the adoption of a new industrial symbiosis paradigm - the human-mimetic symbiosis - where critical resources (materials, energy, waste and by-products) are coordinated among multiple autonomous Production Units organized in industrial clusters. SYMBIOPTIMA will improve European process industry efficiency levels by: (a) developing a cross-sectorial energy & resource management platform for intra- and inter-cluster streams, characterized by a holistic model for the definition, life-cycle assessment and business management of a human-mimetic symbiotic cluster. The platform multi-layer architecture integrates process optimization and demand response strategies for the synergetic optimization of energy and resources within the sectors and across value chains. (b) Developing extensive, multi-disciplinary, modular and “plug&play” monitoring and elaboration of all relevant information flows of the symbiotic cluster. (c) Integrating all thermal energy sources, flows and sinks of the cluster into a systemic unified vision, as nodes of smart thermal energy grid. (d) Taking into account disruptive increase of cross-sectorial re-use for particularly impacting waste streams, proposing advanced WASTE2RESOURCE initiatives for PET. The development of such a holistic framework will pave the way for future cross-sectorial interactions and potentialities. Furthermore, the adoption of available LCSA and interoperability standards will grant easy upgradability of legacy devices and a large adoption by device producers. Modularity, extendibility and upgradability of all developed tools will improve scalability and make the SYMBIOPTIMA approach suitable both at small and large scale. Rapid transfer from lab-scale to testing at demonstration sites will be eased by the presence of industrial partners and end-users, as Bilfinger, Siemens, SXS, and Neo Group.

The flexibility of the industrial electricity demand has been identified as a potential that through innovative business models can facilitate further growth of variable renewable energy, while reducing the industrial electricity costs and contributing to the European energy policy goals. In this project the large industry is working with the renewable energy community to identify and implement business models for supplying variable renewable electricity to industrial users with flexibility in their demand, creating win-win situations. Several variations of the business models will be described covering different options like on and off-site renewable energy production. The business models will be adapted to 5 industrial sectors (Chemicals, non-ferrous metals, cold storage, steel, and water treatment) and 6 target countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and UK). Tools will be developed to facilitate adoption of the business models: Model contracts adapted to the target countries and the different business models and a methodology that assesses the flexibility in industrial units and its value within the business models. The methodology will be transferred to third parties and will be applied in 6 case studies covering all target sectors and countries. Recommendations for improvements in the regulatory and market framework will be formulated and promoted. A top-down and a bottom-up methodology will be used to quantify the potential for further cost-effective grid integration of variable renewable electricity by the exploitation of the industrial electricity demand flexibility. The use of a sophisticated power system model and detailed analysis will provide reliable data on the impact the policy recommendations could have. An ambitious campaign will be carried out for engaging the target groups in direct action implementing the business models and informing the interested actors about the project activities and results.