354
But, as outlined in LOCIMAP White Paper 4, the low-carbon future requires
developments of new approaches and public engagement that can be effective in
delivering business solutions at the park level. The project view is that the establishment of ‘Synergy Management Services’ organisations is probably the best way to
go. These need to be led by the park operator or by the industrial cluster with support from the local public sector with an interest in sustainability themselves.
One such example is the Saltend Chemicals Park, a cluster of world-class chemicals and renewable energy business at the heart of Humberside, established by BP
Chemicals Ltd in 2009. Today a number of leading organisations operate on the
370-acre site, sharing an established infrastructure and extensive provision of services, feedstocks and utilities, enabling them to drive down costs, increase effi -
ciency and boost profi tability. The site has seen £500 million of investment in recent
years and its products range from clothing to paints, pharmaceuticals and
packaging.
4 Prospects
If the size of the prize from this level of integration were small, there would be little
drive for pursuing the concepts outlined. However, the conclusion of the LOCIMAP
work suggests that the prize is very high. In fact, it is so high that such integrated
systems could deliver not only the EU 2020 targets but those set by the SPIRE project also. In contrast with the ever-increasing squeeze on existing assets through
traditional resource effi ciency , the benefi t achieved by the coordinated and symbiotic co-location promises major benefi ts at both thermodynamic and business levels
(Fig. 19.3 ).
Such a strategic shift raises big questions. How can we engineer such systems
without compromising safety? What are the implications for system resilience?
How can such a closely integrated arrangement manage operational necessities such
as maintenance schedules? Such questions would need to be answered in time – for
the present, it is suffi cient to recognise the scale of the prize on offer through such
an approach.
What happens if we do not take this bold approach? The project highlighted the
concerns by its partners regarding carbon leakage , and this is seen as a hidden barrier. Each manufacturer, and each park, provided information on the legislative and
taxation structures within which they operate. They commented on their driving
forces in terms of the costs involved in related investments for improvement and in
buying carbon credits. Beyond that, they were invited to outline any company or
sector initiatives at the 2050 time horizon. In essence the feedback to the project
confi rmed that carbon trading has the potential to increase economic pressures on
the more energy-intensive sectors to leave the European economy. This will disproportionately affect parks.
The project further examined present and future potential by-product linkages
between the sectors represented within LOCIMAP. Whilst the loss of an industry
M. Bailey and A. Gadd
But, as outlined in LOCIMAP White Paper 4, the low-carbon future requires
developments of new approaches and public engagement that can be effective in
delivering business solutions at the park level. The project view is that the establishment of ‘Synergy Management Services’ organisations is probably the best way to
go. These need to be led by the park operator or by the industrial cluster with support from the local public sector with an interest in sustainability themselves.
One such example is the Saltend Chemicals Park, a cluster of world-class chemicals and renewable energy business at the heart of Humberside, established by BP
Chemicals Ltd in 2009. Today a number of leading organisations operate on the
370-acre site, sharing an established infrastructure and extensive provision of services, feedstocks and utilities, enabling them to drive down costs, increase effi -
ciency and boost profi tability. The site has seen £500 million of investment in recent
years and its products range from clothing to paints, pharmaceuticals and
packaging.
4 Prospects
If the size of the prize from this level of integration were small, there would be little
drive for pursuing the concepts outlined. However, the conclusion of the LOCIMAP
work suggests that the prize is very high. In fact, it is so high that such integrated
systems could deliver not only the EU 2020 targets but those set by the SPIRE project also. In contrast with the ever-increasing squeeze on existing assets through
traditional resource effi ciency , the benefi t achieved by the coordinated and symbiotic co-location promises major benefi ts at both thermodynamic and business levels
(Fig. 19.3 ).
Such a strategic shift raises big questions. How can we engineer such systems
without compromising safety? What are the implications for system resilience?
How can such a closely integrated arrangement manage operational necessities such
as maintenance schedules? Such questions would need to be answered in time – for
the present, it is suffi cient to recognise the scale of the prize on offer through such
an approach.
What happens if we do not take this bold approach? The project highlighted the
concerns by its partners regarding carbon leakage , and this is seen as a hidden barrier. Each manufacturer, and each park, provided information on the legislative and
taxation structures within which they operate. They commented on their driving
forces in terms of the costs involved in related investments for improvement and in
buying carbon credits. Beyond that, they were invited to outline any company or
sector initiatives at the 2050 time horizon. In essence the feedback to the project
confi rmed that carbon trading has the potential to increase economic pressures on
the more energy-intensive sectors to leave the European economy. This will disproportionately affect parks.
The project further examined present and future potential by-product linkages
between the sectors represented within LOCIMAP. Whilst the loss of an industry
M. Bailey and A. Gadd