New pilot plant to extract nitrogen from wastewater In a new pilot plant at Hammarby Sjöstadsverk, nitrogen will be extracted from wastewater. Together with the company Ekobalans, IVL is testing and optimising a new technology that it hopes will be used at more wastewater treatment plants in Sweden. The ability to recycle and recirculate nutrients from wastewater is an extremely topical issue in the water and sewage industry.
May IVL becoming the principal owner of Möbelfakta In May, IVL became the new majority owner of the independent labelling system Möbelfakta, which was previously owned by Trä- och Möbelföretagen. Möbelfakta targets producers, buyers, designers and other actors in the furniture industry, and is based on three elements: quality, the environment and social responsibility. IVL will operate and develop the system in future to meet the requirements of public procurement and be able to grow internationally. Read more on page 41.
June
Uneven preparation in a changing climate On behalf of the Swedish National Expert Council for Climate Adaptation, IVL has mapped how Sweden’s municipalities, regions and county administrative boards are preparing for a changing climate. The county administrative boards, which have a designated coordination mandate, are conducting extensive work on climate adaptation, while hardly any climate adaptation work is being carried out in the regions at all. The amount the municipalities do in this area is often linked to whether they have previously been affected by extreme weather events and climate change.
New study reveals microplastics in the air A study carried out by IVL shows that microplastic particles can be transported by air to locations far away from the source of the emissions. Samples were collected from eleven sites and twenty sampling points, from Grankölen in Norrbotten County to central Malmö in the southwest of Sweden. Rubber particles from vehicle tyres were also discovered in the air samples, although their air dispersion appears to be more geographically limited.
July
Waste heat in Europe – unique insight into the mindset of industries More flexible electricity grids can lead to large Despite the fact that there good emissions techniques for using reductions in are climate
surplus heat fromwith industry, only a fraction of this potential In collaboration the company Blixt Tech, IVL has islooked used. at The IVL-led EU project So What is presenting two how controlling demand and production in the reports that show the preconditions for using industrial electricity grid can affect energy usage and CO2 emiswaste heat different European as well as the sions in theinhousing sector in fourcountries, EU countries. There is business models that are required. The estimated potential considerable potential. According to the study, if the flexin the EU 300 TWh annually, corresponding ibility thatisexists within the electricity grids isto used to approximately ten percent of the total heating demand for reduce peak hours or to steer towards renewable energy housing in the EU. The greatest potential for surplus heat sources, this can result in reductions in emissions of occurs in 10 theand steel between 24industry. megatonnes of CO2 each year.
More flexible electricity Waste heat in Europe – unique insight into the mindgrids can lead to large set of industries reductions in are climate Despite the fact that there goodemissions techniques for using
Biogas production can be increased many times over – and this is how we get there The Swedish biogas system can be significantly expanded, including through public procurement, local networks of operators and political instruments. This can be seen from a report from the Collaboration Programme for Renewable Fuels and Systems, f3, in which IVL participates.
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IVL SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE