Borlänge municipality
An industrial centre going green
Founded on a long industrial tradition of steel and paper production, the municipality of Borlänge in central Sweden is turning over a green leaf. The city recycles 90% of its waste and boasts an innovative district heating system fuelled by renewable energy and waste heat.
Public-private partnership with a shared vision
Home to major manufacturers like steel producer SSAB and paper company Stora Enso, Borlänge is also the headquarters for the Swedish Road Administration and national railway agency Banverket. Local policymakers are avid sustainability advocates and have linked up with private business to introduce a raft of green initiatives.
How to benefit from a downtown steel mill
Together, the municipality and local business have designed an energy system that makes maximum use of waste heat. The main partners are energy company Borlänge Energi (which operates the municipality’s district heating and waste management systems and supplies green electricity), SSAB Tunnplåt and Stora Enso Kvarnsveden. The trio share advanced systems for producing energy from waste heat and steam and for water and air purification.
District heating reduces carbon emissions
Recovering waste heat and using biofuel to power the district heating grid cuts CO₂ emissions by 115,000 tonnes (23,000 according to Swentec) compared to oil-fired alternatives. Municipal energy company Borlänge Energi operates the Bäckelund power station, which generates district heating from a combination of waste incineration and industrial waste heat.
Fågelmyra waste plant produces biogas and compost
The Fågelmyra waste management plant produces biogas and biocompost from waste and also separates incinerable waste for district heating production. The facility sorts all types of household refuse, as well as packaging, electronic and other waste arising under EU producer responsibility legislation. The plant also has a landfill area for residual waste and ash.
Biogas and compost plant
Fågelmyra also has a separate biogas and compost plant that can handle 9,000 tonnes of waste every year. It processes food and other compostable waste from private households, industrial kitchens and restaurants in the Falun and Borlänge municipalities.
The plant minimises the amount of waste sent to landfill. It sells biocompost for use in gardens and agriculture and biogas for heating, power generation and vehicle fuel. Borlänge Energi owns the Fågelmyra facility and operates it jointly with Falun municipality’s traffic department.