This article identifies and elaborates on preconditions, drivers and barriers behind the development of excess heat based systems of district heating in Sweden. Industrial excess heat based district heating systems are considered generally resource-efficient since it could reduce the use of fossil fuels and emissions of greenhouse gases by saving primary energy for district heating companies supplying heat to their heating customers. An increased recovery of excess heat from industrial processes and thermal power generation has great potential to reduce primary energy demands.

Collaboration around heat supply is relatively rare. There is an increase but still, the increase is low compared to the supply of excess heat from the industrial processes within the country. Increased knowledge of the important aspects necessary for the collaborations to evolve could mean greater opportunities to facilitate the development of excess heat based systems of district heating.

The aim of the study is to investigate important preconditions behind the development of excess heat based systems of district heating. It includes two existing cases of excess heat-based district heating systems in two different Swedish communities. The results are analyzed based on previous findings of the emergence and development of industrial collaborations within the research field of Industrial Symbiosis (IS).

The results from the study show that relations based on; trust, honesty, shared visions on common goals, information transfer and joint problem solving are necessary for these collaborations to develop.

These features are also important when it comes to the decision making process. This since knowledge through participation from relevant stakeholders within the collaboration is required to understand and translate the common goals and objectives into practice.

In addition, we argue that investment subsidies are important for the future development of excess heat based systems of district heating, as a way to facilitate and encourage the long-time environmental benefits for the parties involved as well as the society at large.