Parkactive

PARKACTIVE

WORLD’S FIRST ECO-INDUSTRIAL PARK FOR AGRIBUSINESS powered by Inside Sustainability

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PARKACTIVE

I

PROFILE

Zero-waste, circular economy and carbon offsetting are the buzz phrases that resound across the sustainability spectrum, particularly within the global agriculture industry. While many still contemplate their future actions, Parkactive is stepping forward with a new eco-industrial park concept in Colombia that achieves these fundamentals. CEO Cyril Kluxen spoke to Andy Probert on efforts to build this all-encompassing world first.

the corner of western Colombia,

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hectare energy park, generating power

exciting development plans are

(50MW) and treating and recycling organic

moving apace that will change

and plastic wastes. The park also includes

the face of the region and be a template to

cultivating, harvesting, processing and

revolutionise business parks of the future.

selling fruits. It is expected that construc-

Parkactive is grasping the debate

tion will begin in the last quarter of 2022.

about sustainability and plans to take it to a new level by envisaging the world’s

Uniquely placed

first eco-industrial park that embraces a

This one-of-a-kind $400 million project,

zero-waste infrastructure based on a

called Parkactive Colombia, will be located,

circular economy model.

near the port city of Turbo. It is a strate-

The park will encompass 50 hectares

gically important area in Antioquia, on the

for clients, predominantly within the

coast of Gulf of Urabá, due to its proximity

agribusiness, and features a 150-

to the country’s main cities, such as

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PARKACTIVE

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PROFILE

Medellín, which lies 340km away. Antioquia

TEUs in dry and refrigerated containers,

also encompasses the Coffee Axis, an

such as cereals and bananas; three mil-

important but mountainous coffee region.

lion tonnes of bulk cargo and 1.15 million

Significantly, the industrial park will be located close to Puerto Antioquia, a deep

tonnes of general cargo.

Benefiting from major highway construc-

seaport presently under construction in

tion projects, the port is set to unlock greater

Antioquia. Once open, it will increase

road connectivity, lower transportation costs

Colombia’s maritime connectivity to the

for exporters and importers into Colombia,

Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and

and put it within touching distance of 70-75%

offer Pacific destinations as it is the nearest

of Colombia’s GDP.

port to the Panamá Canal.

This multi-purpose port could eventually handle an annual capacity of 600,000

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“Such proximity to the port underpins the very importance of Parkactive’s industrial park concept and the potential to derive

“

There is no other project in the world that has put so much money into focusing on net-zero for agribusiness

Elefund Capital’s CEO, Cyril Kluxen.

Parkactive is being spearheaded by

“

many benefits we envisage,” disclosed

He emphasised: “We created Parkactive four years ago, and the founders thought that the crucial part of the infrastructure

Elefund Capital, a Geneva-based invest-

missing in emerging countries was the

ment company. Elefund’s principal focus

industrial park as they were not suited to

has been sourcing and providing infras-

proper economic development.

tructure capital to assist in supporting and

“We didn’t think European or US companies

building project developments in emerging

could put some transforming manufacturing

markets. This project will be its first foray

lines into industrial parks that we had at

into South America.

our disposal in emerging countries. So,

Mr Kluxen said Parkactive Colombia

we thought it was a good opportunity to

would be developed in a dynamic area,

rethink the model of a business park, how

where banana growers export 30 million

we should build it for the next century,

boxes per year and several companies

and not what was commonly available or

are operating.

experienced in Europe.

“The proximity to the port also allows

“Waste is going to be a problem, power

very short transport routes, so protecting

generation is crucial to an industrial park,

the environment.”

and nowadays it’s crucial that it comes

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PARKACTIVE

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PROFILE

from alternative sources. So we laid new

As part of the project, four critical units

parameters as to what we wanted in these

will all play important roles at Parkactive.

new business parks.”

There will be a bio-energy power plant of 50MW peak using renewable wood

Meeting zero-waste principles After four years of intensive research, the

biomass and waste-to-energy feedstock.

A biogas and plastic treatment plant will

result is Parkactive’s concept in Colombia.

also be located to turn 55,000 tonnes of

Mr Kluxen explained the park would gen-

plastic each year into 30’000 tonnes of

erate power from renewable sources while

recycled plastic and 7 million litres of

recycling organic and plastic waste as

synthetic diesel, and 90,000 tonnes of

part of the zero-waste principles.

organic waste into the equivalent 3 MW

He added: “For the project, we have the

of biogas.

support of some key players. As the project is worth $400 million, we already have

Circular economy in motion

significant equity investors on board. We

Mr Kluxen said there would also be a forestry

don’t seek to revolutionise the industrial

unit, planting 10,000 hectares of trees and

park, but there is no other project in the

energy crops, transforming wood residues

world that has put so much money into

into 120,000 tonnes of pellets, lumber and

focusing on net-zero for agribusiness.

pallets per year.

“It will be a landmark and an extremely

A fruit farm will be located on 5,000

interesting project. We believe it could

hectares producing 100,000 tonnes per

become a global trend for future business

year for the international fresh market

park development in terms of infrastruc-

and 10,000 tonnes per year as processed

ture and promotion of the circular busi-

food, including banana, avocado, lime and

ness model.”

passion fruit.

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“We are actively creating value with our

housing, health care and financial inclusion.

forestry and agribusiness operations by

Looking ahead, Mr Kluxen informed that

providing the necessary infrastructure

Parkactive and Elefund are already in talks

for tenant companies to reach a zero-

with other countries in the Balkans, Africa

waste production process,” he added.

and Latin America in helping to reproduce

“The capacity offered by Parkactive to

similar eco-business park models.

treat organic and plastic wastes is conceived has an amenity for clients.”

The use of state-of-the-art and proven technologies will then be available to tenant

“The concept of Parkactive aims to put the circular economy front and centre, in reality, and in motion,” he concluded.

“Colombia is just the start.”

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companies, and all processes will be CO2 negative and align with UN Sustainability Development Goals.

“It will also give strategic clients the ability to increase their sustainability through carbon credits off-setting,” he added. Once opened, the park is expected to create more than 2,000 new jobs with fair living wages while supporting better education,

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