Practice Abstract - Research and innovation

Circular systems in action: cascade utilization and industrial symbiosis

In today’s agricultural and industrial systems, a significant portion of biological resources is either wasted or underutilized. While green biomass like grass and clover is rich in valuable components—such as fibers, sugars, and nutrients—most of its potential remains untapped after initial processing for protein. Traditional value chains often stop at the primary product. However, sustainability and economic resilience require that we go further—transforming secondary outputs (like pulp and brown juice) into inputs for new value chains. This is known as cascade utilization. 

At the same time, industrial decarbonization pathways, such as Power-to-X (PtX) technologies, are creating new resource flows like excess heat and biogenic CO₂. These flows, if coordinated wisely, can serve as inputs for agriculture and green refining. Unlocking this interconnected potential will require: 

  • New business models and partnerships across sectors
  • Investment in R&D to mature low-TRL technologies
  • Supportive policy and regulatory frameworks
  • Regional planning to enable physical co-location and material exchange

Benefits 

Full-value recovery: Green biomass contains much more than just protein. Press cake (pulp) and brown juice left after protein extraction can be further processed into valuable products for multiple sectors.

Climate-friendly production: These processes reduce agricultural waste and carbon emissions, while enabling local production of packaging, textiles, fuels, and building materials. 

Industrial synergies: Residual heat, carbon, and process water from Power-to-X (PtX) systems can be reused in biorefineries, creating closed-loop, resource-efficient value chains. 

Economic development: Cascade utilization and PtX symbiosis support the emergence of new green industries, jobs, and regional development—positioning northwest Jutland as a hub for climate-smart innovation

Additional information

The green biorefining process begins with protein extraction, but it doesn’t end there. What remains—pulp and brown juice—has substantial commercial and environmental value: 

  • Pulp (pressed plant fiber):
    • Can replace wood fibers in products like cardboard, insulation, and bioplastics
    • Can be further refined into cellulose for high-end uses like textile production or packaging
    • Has the advantage of lower lignin content compared to wood, easing purification processes
  • Brown Juice (sugar- and nutrient-rich liquid):
    • Used for precision fermentation to grow targeted microorganisms for food, feed, or pharma
    • Can be converted into ethanol or other biofuels
    • Offers potential as a biogas substrate or as part of organic fertilizer systems

Together, these streams can power new circular business models rooted in sustainability and zero-waste principles.

PtX technologies—such as hydrogen production from renewable electricity—produce valuable by-products like excess heat and CO₂, which can feed into green refining operations: 

  • Excess heat can dry protein pastes, evaporate brown juice, or power fermentation processes
  • Process water from refining can be cleaned and reused in hydrogen production
  • Biogenic CO₂ and leftover biomass can feed into biogas or biochar production

By co-locating facilities, industries can exchange heat, water, and nutrients—reducing costs, emissions, and resource loss. This model is particularly powerful in regions like northwest Jutland, where strong agricultural traditions, renewable energy capacity, and innovation leadership create ideal conditions for integrated green value chains.

Challenges

  • Limited maturity of cascade-processing technologies
  • Need for strategic co-location of industries (PtX and biorefining)
  • Lack of standard frameworks for sharing residual flows across sectors

Resources 

  • Policy support and investment in infrastructure
  • Industrial-scale R&D and tech development
  • Agreements for resource sharing between facilities
Source Project
Transformation for sustainable nutrient supply and management
Ongoing | 2022-2026
Main funding source
Horizon Europe (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
Geographical location
Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland, The United Kingdom, China
Project details

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