Some of the 80 million metric tons CO2 equivalent emitted by French industry each year can be abated through arrangements between companies, with “waste” from one becoming a resource for another. Interview with Solène Le Bourdiec, who leads the EcoCirT project at EDF R&D where the EPIFLEX circular economy approach was developed.

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 “EPIFLEX is a unique approach, based on a set of tools and methodologies to implement optimised collaboration between companies," says Solène Le Bourdiec. “Through the use of specific tools, including the innovative PHOENIX software, and after 10 years working on these issues, we are able to provide support for setting up circular economies through the installation of local energy and material loops in the regions, guaranteeing technical feasibility and cost effectiveness.”

Modelling for optimisation

For a group of companies located in the same region, the circular economy consists in re-using some outgoing flows from one industrial site as resources for another. These flows can include heat, waste water, hydrogen and a wide variety of materials, such as wooden pallets for example: there are many savings to be made if these waste products are used as a resource by a neighbouring manufacturer.

“The difficulty, therefore, is to optimise the different exchanges possible depending on the potential partners, choosing the best technical solutions that are economically acceptable to both parties,” explains the project manager.

10 years of R&D for an approach combining tools and expertise

Optimisation can be complex when it comes to coordinating several manufacturers and all their incoming and outgoing flows. Nevertheless, this is what has been achieved for 20 industrial sites in the industrial-port area of Dunkirk, under the direction of EDF R&D as part of the EPIFLEX project, supported by ADEME between 2018 and 2021 in partnership with Mines ParisTech.

"Optimisation tools are essential for this type of project, to provide the right technical options and ensure the profitability of the associated investments, but they cannot do everything," says Solène Le Bourdiec.

“There is also a need for cooperation between the industrial players, the local authority and the local associations involved in the approach. My role was to lead the steering committee, to give life to the project and to propose various viable technical choices based on our optimisation calculations.”

This will result in potential savings of more than 1.5 million m3 of water per year and significant decarbonisation of the region by abating the emission of 43,000 metric tons of CO2 each year.

“The outline of the Dunkirk project is now defined and this project is a tremendous showcase for the circular economy. We still have to make it happen, by helping to set up sustainable business models and securing funding, another of EDF’s areas of expertise.”

What next?

 "The point of this type of initiative is to replicate it. We are talking to other regions, to model their specific flows as a function of manufacturers’ issues and data.”