Industrial residues from Swedish industry become plasterboards
The joint efforts between NOAH, Munters and Stockholm Exergi are accelerating the transformation of Swedish industry towards increased circularity.
Using fly ash from Swedish combined heat and power plants and salt residues from Munters manufacturing of desiccant rotors, Norgips is now producing brand new plasterboards.
Just a few years ago, treatment and landfilling were the common solutions for handling industrial waste such as fly ash and salt residues. Today, cross-border industrial collaboration, innovative solutions, and a willingness to invest have created completely new opportunities.
At Munters production plant in Tobo, where desiccant rotors are produced, wastewater was previously treated through sedimentation and filter pressing, disposing salt residues sent to landfill. With investments in new equipment, the residuals can now be separated directly from the process water and be used as input material in other production.
“Collaborating with other industries is the right path to increase circularity and reduce emissions throughout Munters entire value chain. This is an important step towards lowering climate and environmental impact, says Andréa Haag,” Vice President Sustainability at Munters.
NOAH is now starting production of clean, white gypsum for plasterboards, replacing long-distance virgin raw materials. Initially, NOAH will produce 6,500 tons of pure gypsum at its existing test center in Langøya, outside Oslo, Norway. The gypsum is manufactured by using residual waste streams including fly ash from, among others, Stockholm Exergi, and salt from process water, mainly from Munters. In this way, two waste streams that were previously landfilled are transformed into new input material.
“This shows that rethinking material flows and building new partnerships creates great circular opportunities. Recycling in practice that we once thought impossible, is now reducing environmental impact for Munters, Stockholm Exergi and Norgips,” says Anders Lægreid, CEO of NOAH.
New plant for 30,000 tons of gypsum
“NOAH’s initiative to extract gypsum from fly ash is a very good example of how we can work together in a circular way and make use of resources that would otherwise be lost, and of how the energy system can become more resource-efficient and sustainable,” says Anders Egelrud, CEO of Stockholm Exergi.
NOAH’s new facility is being designed for 30,000 tons of gypsum, to be refined regionally. A letter of intent has been signed with Norgips, which produces plasterboard in the same region and generates 40% of its turnover in Sweden.
“We are creating a circular value chain where industrial residues become gypsum. Locally produced, with low emissions and no extraction of natural resources. It’s a win-win-win for society, businesses, and consumers – something we look forward to offering our customers, says Christian Stålem,” CEO at Norgips.
