An Indigo Industrial
Ecology Paper Creating systems solutions for sustainable
development through industrial ecology
China's Guidelines for eco-industry park planning
These guidelines were formulated by China’s State
Environmental Protection Administration for guidance and evaluation of
EIP projects. The document is dated 2003-12-31 and is available
in Chinese at
1. The characteristics and types of eco industrial park
Eco industrial park is a new industrial conformation, which is designed
and built according to the idea of circular economy and the theory of
industrial ecology. Through trade, different plants or companies are
connected to form a complex, which can share the resources and exchange
products. In another word, the products or waste of one company can
become the raw material or resources of another company. This can make
the connected companies be similar to a natural system, establish the
circular industrial path of “producer-customer-decomposer”, and realize
the sustainable development of regional society, economy and
environment through the closed circulation of material, circular use of
energy and minimization of waste. Eco industrial park has the following
main characteristics:
1. Eco industrial park is a complex of nature, industry and society
2. Achieving the maximum use of resources and minimum discharge of
waste through the exchange of by-products and wastes, circular use of
energy and waste water and the sharable use of infrastructure among the
processing units of the industrial park.
3. Ensuring the steady and sustainable development of the industrial
park through the application of modern administration, policy and new
technology such as sharing information, saving water and energy,
re-circulation and reuse, environment monitoring and sustainable
transportation technique.
4. Through constructing and operating park’s infrastructures, the
environmental conditions of companies, the park and the whole community
will reach a sustainable improvement.
2. The principles of eco industrial park planning
Sum up the characteristics of all sorts of eco
industrial parks, the planning of the eco-industry park should obey the
following rules:
1. Natural ecosystem principle: Eco industrial park should be connected
with the regional natural ecosystem to maintain its eco-functions as
much as possible. To fulfill the requirement of sustainable
development, the existing industrial park should rearrange its
industrial construction, reform its traditional industrial technique,
dramatically increase the efficiency of resource utilization and
decrease waste generation and environmental protection pressure. When
choosing the site for a new park, people should give full consideration
to the local ecosystem capacity and minimize the bad influence to the
surrounding scenery, culture, regional ecosystem and global environment.
2. Eco-efficiency principle: Carry out clean production idea when
designing the park, constructing infrastructure and buildings and
operating production. More concretely, decreasing the resources cost
and waste generation through the clean production among the processing
units; decreasing the total consumption of raw material, water and
energy through the interuse of the byproducts among the units in the
park; decreasing the use of toxic material through the use of
alternative, the innovation of process; encouraging the use of
regenerative and reusable resources in construction, energy generation,
manufacture and service. Among all the above rules, “decrement is
first” -- which means decrease resource consumption and waste
generation -- is the most basic and important requirement.
3. Life cycle principle: Intensify the life cycle administration of the
raw materials before they enter into the park, and products and waste
after the they leave the park, in order to minimize the bad
environmental affects of the life cycle of the product and waste.
Encourage provision of service products, which need low consumption of
resource and energy, are benign to the environment and safe to use, and
can be recycled, reused and safely disposed.
4. Regional development principle: Integrating the eco-industry park
with regional development and characteristic economy; integrating the
construction of eco industrial park with the renovation of the regional
eco environment. Strengthening the connection between the eco
industrial park and the community through training, education,
developing local industry and employees’ residence construction.
Integrating the design of eco industrial park with the plan of local
economical development and letting it be harmonic with the plan of
regional environmental protection.
5. Hi-tech and high benefit principle: Broadly using modern
bio-technique, eco-technique, energy saving technique, water saving
technique, recycling technique, information technique, advanced
production administration and environmental administration criteria.
6. Pay equal attention to software and hardware principle: Hardware
refers to the construction plan of projects including industrial
facilities, infrastructures and service facilities. Software includes
the establishment of environmental administration system, construction
of information support system and enactment of preferential policy,
which can let the eco industrial park get the healthy and sustainable
development
3. The procedure of the eco industrial park planning
Generally, the eco industrial park planning includes the following steps:
1. Establishing the planning team
Planning team includes a leader group and a technician group.
2. Selecting park site
According to the current situation, selecting vacant area, the polluted
wasteland (in this case, the development of eco industrial park can be
regarded as recovery of local ecosystem or redevelopment of local
economy, such as the eco industrial park in Baltimore, Maryland and
Cape Charles, Virginia) as the eco industrial park site, or reforming
the existing industrial park to eco park.
3. Research on current situation
Doing research and analysis on the natural condition, social economical
background, current situation of the existing industries and
enterprises in the park and surrounding area; Doing research and
analysis on the material flow, water flow and energy flow, the
origination and disposal of waste, the capacity and standard of
environment and the possible channel for waste utilization.
4. Determining the goal for planning
The goal includes social, economic and environmental goals, such as the
contribution and influence of the industrial park to the regional
economic development, job creation, revenue, cost of service and cost
of environmental renovation. The goal also needs to consider the
investment, profit, return of investment, loan refund and the
environmental standard.
5. Design the planning
Overall framework design
Doing the analysis on
material flow, water flow, energy flow and information flow. According
to the result of analysis and the goal of planning, generating the
overall framework of eco park. The overall framework should include the
main industrial production chains, overall arrangement and functional
partition of the park.
Industry development planning
Making decisions on major
industries, products scale and supporting projects for the park.
Selection and guideline of the eco park project candidate
Recruit and select the
project candidates, which include industrial projects, infrastructures
and service facilities. Because eco industrial park is an open
structure, it is necessary to establish the guideline for the projects
in the park.
Policy design
Enact policy to administer the park and encourage investment.
Support system design
Support system should
include enterprise incubation, information exchange system, waste
exchange system, training, education, research, development,
environmental administration system and clean production.
6. Investment and benefit analysis
This analysis will include the budget of eco industrial park investment, analysis of social, economic and environmental benefit.
4. The methods and techniques of eco industrial park planning
1. The common characteristics of all eco industrial parks are:
The eco industrial park planning should be based on traditional city
and regional planning, existing park planning and environmental
planning. The traditional planning, such as system planning, mathematic
programming, layout planning technique (GIS tool, et, al), can be used
in eco industrial park planning.
Since eco industry has its own characteristic, the planning should
consist of the ideas and methods of clean production (pollution
prevention), industrial metabolism, byproduct exchange, eco design,
life cycle analysis, combined training plan and participation of the
public and other interested groups.
2. Material integration
Material integration refers to the member’s relation between the
upstream and downstream according to the park planning, adjust the
material flow direction, quantity and quality, establish industrial
ecosystem by using the process integration technique and minimize the
consumption of resource by recycle and reuse of water, oil and solvent
etc.
Material integration can reflect the eco industrial idea in three
levels: in the individual enterprise, realizing clean production; among
enterprises, the waste or byproduct of one enterprise can be used as
raw material in another enterprise. This will optimize material
utilization and reduce toxic material use in the park. Outside the
park, fully take advantage of material demand information to make park
a chain in the whole regional economical circulation and enlarge the
circulation scale of material and energy.
Establishing a material and waste exchange center responsible for material exchange and waste disposal among the enterprise.
3. Water system integration
Water system integration is the special case of the material
integration. The target of water integration is to save water. This can
be achieved by multi-use of water. Traditionally, water is classified
to drinking water and waste water. Recently, there is a new concept
named “middle water” in some enterprises, hotels, schools and
communities, which corresponds to the recycled water in industry. In
eco industrial park, water can be even classified to more levels, such
as super pure water used in semi-conduct industry, de-ion water used in
biology and pharmacy, drinking water used in kitchen, restaurant,
fountain pool, washing water used for washing vehicle and building,
irrigation water et al. Because the low level requires lower water
quality, it is reasonable for it to use the water from up level. For
example, the following cases can be applied among the enterprises in
the park: the recycled water system in many enterprises, i.e. the
circulation of pure water – the first recycled water – the second
recycled less pure water; the reuse of condensate from steam; recycling
of indirect cooling water; recycling water in a closed loop.
In order to get rid of the harmful solid and liquid material and
improve the water purity, it is necessary to do water treatment during
the time of water’s multi-use. Water from treatment can be used in the
same unit or the unit which requires the water of low quality.
According to different situation, water treatment process may be
condensation, separation, filtration, super filtration, reverse
osmosis, detoxification, precipitation, bio treatment and wet land
treatment et al. As a part of eco industrial park, the water treatment
facility can assume the sole responsibility of profits and losses.
4.Energy integration
Energy integration requires the maximum energy efficiency in the
individual enterprise, the optimum use of energy in the whole park and
maximum use of regenerative resource. In some cases, the total energy
consumption in the park can be reduced to 50 percent. One way to save
energy is step-typed use of energy, which means the discharge of high
temperature energy flow can be used in the process which require less
high temperature flow. According to different energy demand of
different industries, products, process in the park, planning and
designing the flow sheet of step-typed use of energy can make energy be
fully used in the industry chain.
Another way is heat and power cogeneration. Heat and power cogeneration
in China has existed for more than 40 years. In eco industrial park,
industrial furnace and low or middle pressure turbine should be
reformed to co-generate heat and power for both park and community.
This way can save energy, improve environmental quality, enhance the
use of heat, save cost and improve economic benefits.
5. Technique integration
The long term improvement and evolution of key techniques is a
determinative factor for the sustainable development of eco industrial
park. The concrete path to get sustainable development is to carry out
clean production and green administration in the park. Hence, during
the park planning and construction, according to product life period
rule and eco design idea, following facts should be considered to
satisfy the requirement of eco industry and establish the hi tech
system to minimize the resource consumption and waste and pollution
production: existing process renovation, high and new technique, anti
risk technique for market, waste reusing and exchanging technique,
information technique and administration technique.
6. Information Sharing
Equipping perfect information exchange system or establishing
information exchange center is the key condition for park to get vigor
and continuous development. Knowing the request and demand information
is the precondition for the members to get effective material
circulation and energy integration. The park construction is a long
evolutional and developing process, therefore it needs a large amount
of information to support this process. The information should comprise
the information of constituent of harmful and non-harmful waste, where
the waste comes and goes, the production of industrial chain and
relative fields, market development, technique, rule and law, persons
with ability and information of other industries related to industrial
ecosystem.
The major functions of information exchange system are:
Providing park administration information to facilitate the circulation
and exchange of material and energy in park, surrounding communities
and certain regions.
Helping enterprise, especially small and middle scale enterprises to
understand environmental problem and law and overcome the eco
industrial operation obstacle by illustration, propagation, education
and promotion provided by the system.
Providing the guideline, suggestion and technique for improving energy
efficiency, saving resource, minimizing waste generation and taking
clean production practices.
7.Facility pool
Facility pool is a characteristic of eco industrial park. Facility pool
can reduce the resource and energy consumption, improve the utilization
efficiency of facility, and avoid re-investment. It is very important
especially for small or middle scale enterprise which is short of
capital. The sharable facility in the park includes:
Infrastructure, such as waste water treatment, solid waste recycling and regeneration center, fire facility, grassland, et al.
Transportation, such as bus, convoy, et al
Storage facility, such as unused storehouse et al
Unused maintenance equipment and working equipment et al
Equipment used for training
5. The index system of eco industrial park construction
To plan and construct eco industrial park, the following four indexes should be followed:
1. Economic index, such as index of economic development level which
includes yearly GDP increase rate, GDP per person, the total energy
consumption for every ten thousand Yuan of GDP, fresh water consumption
for every ten thousand Yuan of GDP, et al.
2. Eco industrial characteristic index, which consist of mature eco
industrial chain, reuse index (includes water reuse rate, raw material
reuse rate and energy reused rate), soft characteristic (production
type, character of substitutable raw material), index of infrastructure
construction (information net system, sharable waste treatment facility
et al.).
3. Eco environment index, such as environment protection index
(environmental quality, pollution discharge and treatment), ecosystem
construction index (the ratio of regenerate energy to the total energy,
grass area per person, the percentage of the grassland in the park),
eco environment improvement index (the ratio of investment on
environment to GDP).
4. Administration index, such as law and policy index (the enacting and
execution of administration policy of park and enterprises),
consciousness index (the ratio of enterprises taking clean production
to all the enterprises, the percentage of the enterprises that have
passed the ISO14001 certification, eco industrial training).
6. Enterprise incubator in the eco industrial park
Enterprise incubator was originated in the U.S.A. in 1950s. It is a new
type of economic organization which helps enterprise to reduce
investment risk, improve the possibility of survival and successful by
providing place for research, production, business; sharable facility
for communication, network, office; support to systematical training,
consultation, policy, finance, law and market.
The main functions of the enterprise incubator in the eco industrial park are as following:
1. Providing the optimal environment and condition to do research and implement the eco industrial technique.
2. Providing the chance for enterprise to share facility and cooperate.
3. Providing up to date information on market and technique.
4. Providing personnel training for enterprise.
5. Providing support on risky financing, market business, accounting, organization arrangement and other business activities.
6. Providing public service on law, secretariat, office and communication equipment.
Enterprise incubator may be profitable or non-profitable organization.
The later one is preferable for all eco industrial parks. Even if an
eco industrial park is based on a certain corporation group, the
government can still play the important role on providing guide and
support, constructing infrastructure. For example, in the construction
of Guangxi Guigang national exampling eco industrial (sugar) park,
secretary of city committee, mayor, and directors of main department
were formed a leader group to facilitate the harmonic development of
society, economy and environment among park, community and city.
7. Compiling the eco industrial park planning documents
The following are the main contents of the eco
industrial planning. Adjustment, addition and deletion can be
made to it according to the individual eco industrial park.
Summary
1. General social, economic and environmental situation of the region.
Situation of community, city and surrounding region
Current situation of the park, the sort and structure of the industry, situation of main resources
2. The significance and advantage of park construction
The significance
The advantage
3. The goal and principle of planning
Overall goal
Concrete goal
Principles of planning
4. The overall design of industrial park
Analysis of current construction condition
Overall framework including main industrial chain in eco industrial park
The space arrangement and functional partition area of eco industrial park
5. Analysis of industrial metabolism in the park
Analysis of main material metabolism
Analysis of energy flow
6. Analysis of investment and benefit of thepark
Total investment
Financing channel
Economic benefit, social benefit, environmental benefit
7. Projects in the park
The beginning projects in park (industrial project, infrastructure, service facility)
Guideline for the projects in park
8. Organization and support system
Leader group, administration committee (coordinating office), investment and development corporation
Administration rule (the
new rule should be united with the existing rule, if the eco industrial
park is based on the existing park)
Stimulating policy (land policy, tax policy, subsidizing policy, loan policy, refund for waste discharge)
Support system (information
system, developing new technique, enterprise incubator, environmental
administration system, monitoring clean production et al.)
