Ultimate Online tools

The developed Hybrid Modelling and Simulation tool has been firstly developed into a modelling framework for the symbiotic Water Cycle (F-SWC), and then effectively applied to three diverse case studies, demonstrating its adaptability and utility across various contexts of industrial symbiosis (InSym). In the first case study (CS2), focusing on the Dutch greenhouse industry, the framework F-SWC was employed to model water reuse and valorisation strategies in response to impending regulatory changes and water scarcity exacerbated by climate change. By combining Agent-Based Simulation (ABS), Discrete Event Simulation (DES), System Dynamics (SD), and Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), the hybrid model facilitated experimentation with real-world scenarios, enabling decision-makers to assess operational, tactical, and strategic options for enhancing water management within the industry. The success of the F-SWC framework in the Dutch case study sets a precedent for its applicability to other industrial symbiosis contexts.

In the second case study (CS4), focused on food processing industries in Greece, the F-SWC framework was again utilised to explore opportunities for turning wastewater into a valuable resource while mitigating illegal discharge and addressing seasonal demand fluctuations. By integrating ABS, DES, SD, and MCDA techniques, the hybrid model provided decision support for a novel wastewater treatment solution involving mobile treatment units (MTUs). The model enabled analysis of investment strategies, operational complexities, and dynamic changes in customer participation, thereby guiding the development of an industrial symbiosis approach tailored to the unique challenges of the Greek food processing industry.

Finally, in the third case study (CS6) concerning agro-industrial wastewater management in Israel, the F-SWC framework was employed to optimise a proposed treatment solution involving high-rate anaerobic systems and membrane filtration. By leveraging hybrid modelling techniques, including ABS, DES, SD, and MCDA, the tool facilitated decision-making towards whether the proposed technologies and service approach should be applied with centralised or decentralised WWTP, by balancing operational and strategic considerations, such as transport costs, facility investments, and compliance incentives for individual businesses. The hybrid model provided insights into the dynamic interplay between technical, economic, and social factors, guiding the development of a holistic approach to wastewater management that aligns with circular economy principles.

Overall, the application of the Hybrid Modelling and Simulation tool across these case studies underscores its versatility and effectiveness in addressing the complex challenges of industrial symbiosis. By integrating diverse modelling techniques within the F-SWC framework, decision-makers can navigate the intricacies of InSym decision-making, optimise resource utilisation, and foster collaborative solutions that benefit both businesses and the environment, leading to a successful and sustainable industrial symbiosis system.

The online co-creation decision platform can help to guide and inform stakeholders in CS#2 (greenhouse in the Netherlands), CS#4 (Israeli olive oil industry), and CS#6 (food processing industry in Greece).  In the Dutch greenhouse case study, substantial benefits in terms of water & energy savings can be shown while using the decision platform due to the use of electrodialysis for water and nutrient recovery. The pioneering “Greener Than Green” technology used for Value Added Compound recovery also seem to show great promises in term of potential benefits in the Greek juice factory case study when extracting polyphenols from orange wastewater. It is likely that all sorts of other Value Added Compounds will be extracted in the near future from other produces. Olive oil wastewater in the Israeli olive oil industry case study might certainly be a potential contender, on top of the fact that this case study shows room for cost and water quality improvement when optimising the placement of a decentralised Advanced Anaerobic Treatment plant. Beyond helping stakeholders to find greater value in symbiosis and Circular Economy, this  work has the potential to show stakeholders what the next step in Circular Economy might look like: a nascent metabolic network of pharmaceutical and food industries based on water reuse and nutrients & VAC recovery.