Short report by Anneloes Hodes

IESA Shift – Study Trip Germany – Denmark 2017

 

The trip has been unforgettable for all participants. Both educational and work- related activities that were organized have been a real contribution to our studies. Monday we already visited the trip’s main attraction: eco- industrial park Kalundborg. In the “Kalundborg Symbiosis Centre” we had an interesting presentation about the industrial symbiosis processes in practice, something most of us only knew from scientific articles. The presenter had conducted a Life Cycle Analysis on some of the processes himself and could answer (almost) all of our critical questions. Afterwards we experienced the dimensions of the park and distances between each factory on a bus tour through the site. We closed the day with a presentation and guided tour at the waste water treatment plant of Kalundborg, that has to deal with large amounts of industrial waste water.

In Copenhagen we visited Sustainia, an inspiring international think-tanks and consultancy. At the University of Copenhagen we got to know Climate KIC and business models for “flourishing business”. In Hamburg the Energy bunker gave new meaning to reusing vacant buildings and renewable energy systems. This enormous relic from WW II is now housing a variety of renewable energy and heat generation systems such as solar panels. Furthermore, there is a large heat storage capacity fed by biogas, a wood combustion boiler, a solar thermal unit and residual heat from a nearby plant. On our last day we had a guided tour through Hafencity, Europe’s largest innovative urban development project. With a focus on multi-functional building we could see the development of a sustainable future in the middle of the city.

These are just a couple of highlights, group bonding, discussions, after talks about companies and activities and newly made friends in Copenhagen and Hamburg have been of indescribable value. We gratefully look back on the second IESA Shift study trip, on to the next!