The North Jutland region aims to be an international frontrunner in the green industries of the future, demonstrating both significant climate benefits and substantial growth and employment opportunities that arise from developing, integrating, and applying new green technologies.

Port of Hirtshals is set to lead this vision and is actively supporting sustainable business development. A key priority in this effort is the circular reuse of resources from companies operating in the port.

The focus of SWaP-X is on increasing circular resource utilization by recycling industrial wastewater generated during the cleaning of equipment used in fish processing. The project explores the potential of treating water from a dedicated process water pipeline running from the port-based companies to Hirtshals Wastewater Treatment Plant and reusing it in other local businesses.

THE CHALLENGE

Industrial wastewater is currently managed through conventional treatment processes, which are often chemically intensive and associated with a considerable CO₂ footprint.

At the same time, demand for technical water is increasing due to emerging green technologies such as Power-to-X, placing additional pressure on groundwater resources.

There is a lack of documented, energy-efficient, and circular solutions that can simultaneously reduce climate impact, utilize surplus resources, and create value across companies.

the solution

The project aims to demonstrate that wastewater from the process water pipeline in Port of Hirtshals can be treated using heat-driven membrane distillation—a well-established technology used e.g. in the dairy industry. However, producing technical water through membrane distillation is groundbreaking, as the technology has not previously been applied for this purpose.

In Phase 1, process water from Port of Hirtshals is tested in laboratory facilities at Aalborg University. Phase 2 involves testing at the Hirtshals Wastewater Treatment Plant. In full-scale application, the process will be powered by surplus heat from local industries such as cold storage facilities.

The treated water can be reused as technical water, for instance in Power-to-X applications, thereby reducing the need for groundwater extraction.

In parallel, a CO₂ assessment tool is being developed to document climate impacts through life cycle assessments and to support decision-making for sustainable business models.

IMPACT

The potential of such a production system is significant:

• The circular process reduces CO₂ emissions compared to conventional, chemical-intensive water treatment, lowering the climate footprint of participating companies and reducing the need for chemical use at the wastewater treatment plant
• The use of surplus industrial heat in circular processes contributes to reduced overall energy consumption
• Treated wastewater becomes a valuable local resource, reducing reliance on groundwater extraction
• The method lowers companies’ total climate impact while creating new business opportunities

Overall, the project helps establish a framework for sustainable industrial development in Port of Hirtshals.

The solution and the CO₂ tool have great potential for scaling to other ports and industrial parks, both in Denmark and internationally. This contributes to positioning Port of Hirtshals and North Jutland as leaders in the green transition and circular economy.