Benefits analysis of optimal design of eco-industrial parks through life cycle indicators

International audienceIndustrial symbiosis offers to companies the possibility to make economic benefits and to minimize environmental impacts by sharing flows and increasing inter-enterprise exchanges. However, even if some studies have demonstrated the benefits of the development of eco-industrial parks (EIP), there is no consensus to evaluate their benefits in a global point of view and there is a lack of integrated indicators for the assessment of EIPs. The aim of this study is to propose a holistic approach to evaluate the global impacts of an EIP. To reach this goal, the potential eco-industrial park of Mongstad in Norway has been chosen. Several steps are considered: a simulation through Aspen Properties®, then the superstructure optimization problem solved within GAMS® environment by minimizing the total cost of the EIP is done. Finally, an evaluation of the optimal solution through a life cycle approach is carried out. The results show that companies included in the EIP have environmental impacts reduced from 45% to 80% compared to the impacts of stand-alone companies