The municipality of Bergen op Zoom have proposed an assignment for us, namely to convert the current Auvergnepolder into a biobased area. For now, it is simply a classical polder, but the municipality would like to innovate the area. Neighbouring inhabitants of the Auverngepolder are against these plans of change. The municipality therefore asked HAS university to do research and create plans in which local farmers and the GCC will be involved in the new developments.
Our group conducted two interviews. One with the Green Chemistry Campus and one with Green Serendipity. We also hoped for an interview with SABIC, but they did not respond. We chose to interview the Green Chemistry Campus as they have a high level of expertise on circular and biobased economy and are located next to the Auvergnepolder.
Three students went to the Green Chemistry Campus to conduct an interview with Peter van der Ham. Speaking to him made us realise that focusing on creating a circular economy was more important than creating a biobased economy. This gave us direction for our plan.
Peter also talked a lot about the influence of the government and world leading companies. If we want to change the Auvergnepolder into a biobased innovative area the government and all companies in the area must help to make it happen. It should also create new jobs for the inhabitants of the surrounding area.
The Green Chemistry Campus is a complex where entrepreneurs, government and knowledge institutions develop new, sustainable materials and chemicals for building materials and the packaging industry. The focus here is on developing new biobased products and ideas.
Institutions that are established on the Green Chemistry campus have already proven on a small scale that they have successful biobased products. They would like to develop these ideas on a large scale, and the Auvergnepolder offers a possibility for this.
As a layout for the polder, we envisioned having food crops occupy the main parts of the polder. Some crops more adapted to very wet soils, such as switchgrass and rice (yes you can grow it here!) will be planted in areas with higher water content, with legumes as cover crops for the winter, to fix nitrogen in the soil. For the better drained areas, farmers will be able to grow crops which they will be able to sell, as well as selling the waste products as biomass for our onsite bioplastic industry. The crops will be cultivated with a four-stage crop rotation, ensuring that each crop is beneficial to the next one coming, and choosing crops that grow well in the Netherlands. Precision farming will be used including organic fertilizers to minimise the use of fertiliser and pesticides.
To gain more insight on the production of bioplastics we contacted frontrunner and advisor Green Serendipity. They were able to give us crucial information on which crops to use for which types of plastics, clear or opaque for example. Furthermore, they gave us a clearer view on what to source biomass from, more specifically explaining to us the reasons why growing crops solely for bioplastics wasn’t the most viable solution, which redirected our project towards an approach where crops would be grown for feed/food, and waste products would be used for biofuel. They also mentioned SABIC, telling us they could be a good potential client to turn towards bioplastic production.
Gathering knowledge from the various stakeholders we contacted, we created an idea that will involve Bergen op Zoom, farmers, new entrepreneurs and the Green Chemistry Campus. We called this project from Seed to Product, with good reason.
Our vision for the Auvergnepolder is to create an “industrial” area were entrepreneurs can set up their new company through the Green Chemistry Campus, so that when they are ready to expand and build their own location, they get the opportunity to do so in the industrial area in the Auvergnepolder.
The industrial area will be 100% green. This means that it will provide its own energy through solar panels and windmills and using geothermal heating. Furthermore, they will have to cooperate with each other to create a circular economy within the industrial area, which will ultimately benefit them economically. Crops will be grown in the Auvergnepolder from which biobased products will be produced, also in the polder. Together with other companies and farmers from the polder, a system to minimise waste streams will be set up to create a circular economy.
By creating this 100% green industrial area, Bergen op Zoom will be an example for the rest of the Netherlands or even the world, showcasing the possibility to create a business area through cooperation and environmental consciousness.
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