WA³RM and Höganäs AB today take the next step in their collaboration to reuse waste heat and carbon dioxide from Höganäs’ operations. The goal is to establish some form of agricultural operations, and WA³RM is now inviting five players to submit proposals.

“We want to contribute to the local community as much as we possibly can,” says Nicklas Lång, Sustainability Director at Höganäs AB. “By delivering our waste heat and carbon dioxide, we can both benefit the environment and help create new job opportunities.”

WA³RM and Höganäs AB announced last September their joint ambition to extract and reuse waste energy and carbon dioxide from metal powder production in Höganäs. A pre-study had showed that both waste heat and carbon dioxide were present in sufficient amounts to run some kind of agricultural activity – for example greenhouse-based cultivation or fish farming. Now the two companies have signed a long-term agreement.

“We are very happy to be able to sign this long-term agreement with Höganäs for the delivery of waste heat and carbon dioxide,” says Michael Wiegert, co-founder of WA³RM. “It is a decisive step towards creating one of the world’s most modern and energy-effective waste-heat-powered greenhouse facilities. We are impressed by Höganäs’ long-sightedness and desire for their by-products to become a resource for creating regenerative vegetable and fish production.”

Nicklas Lång adds: “It is important for Höganäs that we continually reduce our environmental impact. Through this project, we can ensure that heat and carbon dioxide that would otherwise go to waste can instead be put to use in the local community, thereby reducing society’s total resource use.”

Project planning for the agricultural facility will get underway during the autumn. Between 60 and 80 jobs could be created, according to today’s estimates.

About WA³RM

WA³RM was founded in Lund in 2015 as a spinoff from work done in the energy division of the European Spallation Source. WA³RM develops regenerative industries, which, through the recycling of waste streams from heavy industry, in combination with new technology, biological processes and sustainable capital, produce food and feed products, fuel and other vital commodities. WA³RM brings together many years of expertise from energy, finance, management and entrepreneurship.