PROPUESTA METODOLÓGICA PRELIMINAR PARA EL DESARROLLO DE PROYECTOS DE SIMBIOSIS INDUSTRIAL

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to tackle the preliminary design of a methodology that allows the redesign of industrial areas through Industrial Symbiosis mechanisms. Industrial symbiosis is a part of Industrial Ecology directed to the search of competitive advantages for industries by means of synergies implementation based on the substitution of flows, mutualization of services and creation/relocation of activities in order to minimize the input/output flows of the studied system. A synergy is an association among companies, favored by geographical proximity, for which they make a profit. In the methodological design there must be combined diverse tools of industrial ecology. The first stage consists of identifying the industrial activities in the studied zone to analyze the flow of materials, energy, water and costs. The supporting tool is a GIS (Geographic Information System), where industries are georeferenced because of the importance of spatial location in the implementation of synergies. Subsequently possibilities of synergies are identified based on qualitative flows. From the quantification of flows, technically viable synergies are selected. Finally an economic and environmental analysis about the different possible alternatives is done. Keywords: industrial ecology, industrial symbiosis, projects, methodology.