The research field of industrial ecology studies energy and material flows within and between different systems in our society while the concept of industrial ecology strives toward mimicking similar flows in natural eco-systems. Industrial ecology can be a means of achieving decoupling between economic growth and environmental impact within the industry sector. A sub-field of industrial ecology is industrial symbiosis which focuses on material, energy and water exchanges between traditionally separate actors in order to achieve economic and environmental benefits.

Energy provider E.ON is a part of the industrial symbiosis network on Händelö outside of Norrköping. E.ON also has operations in the Northern Harbour industrial area in Malmö, and sees an opportunity for the development of industrial symbiosis in that area which has unexploited land. The aim of this thesis is to explore how a private actor can influence the industrial development of an area to facilitate the formation of industrial symbiosis connections. This is done by studying the emergence and development of industrial symbiosis in Händelö and how different actors have influenced that development, as well as the conditions for such development in the Northern Harbour.

Industrial symbiosis in Händelö has evolved spontaneously because of profitability in each connection. This study shows that the establishment of Agroetanol’s ethanol pilot plant next to Händelöverket was an enabling event in the development of the industrial symbiosis network. The diversity of fuels used in Händelöverket, and the number of energy products that it provides suggest that it served as a so called anchor tenant in this development, attracting Agroetanol with its availability of steam produced from renewable fuels. This was one important aspect for the establishment of Agroetanol. Political instruments such as a tax exemption on Agroetanol’s plant and CO₂ and energy taxes on fossil fuels have also contributed to this development.

Conditions for industrial symbiosis in the Northern Harbour in Malmö are quite different from those in Norrköping. An important difference is that industrial symbiosis has been recognized as a tool for sustainability and might be considered when planning the unexploited land. There are however many interest in this land, especially by the port company CMP and the City of Malmö’s Real Estate Office who have invested large sums in expanding the port business. They prefer goods intensive businesses that utilize the infrastructure provided by the port and railway in the area. Malmö has also set some ambitious environmental targets to be fulfilled 2030. They create a need to transition from the partly natural gas powered energy system today to one based on renewable fuels. There are also opportunities in a gasification plant which is planned by E.ON, and an EU-funded project seeking to make use of the biofuels potentials of port sites by using industrial symbiosis.

The conclusions of the study are that there are ways for a private actor to influence industrial symbiosis development. Some that have been identified in this work are:

• As an anchor tenant with multiple large input and output streams, by attracting businesses to the area.
• As an enabler of a biorefinery network with multiple end-products and by-products.
• As a part of a coordinating entity that aims to facilitate industrial symbiosis.