The Limburg region is building the first circular hub in Europe to advance industrial symbiosis and achieve full circularity in the production of chemicals. The Chemelot Circular Hub aims to become a growth accelerator for a circular society, a powerful hub for economic growth and future prosperity that is connected to people, the environment, and society as a whole.
With increasing pressure on natural resources, if we want to ensure a prosperous future for the next generation and achieve the objective of the European Green Deal, we need to rethink the way we produce and consume products. As chemicals are present in 95% of manufactured goods, chemistry has a key role to help to make Europe’s economy circular by enabling innovative technologies that better use and reuse existing materials.
Inspired by Hubs for Circularity (H4C) concept, the Chemelot Circular Hub has already started this transformation, using innovative chemistry as a growth accelerator for the transition to a sustainable economic and socially prosperous future. The Hub consists of a broad alliance of companies, knowledge and educational institutes, and government bodies with the common goal of making chemistry, materials, economy, and society fully circular.
The Circular Hub is set to achieve ambitious circularity targets and deep greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in the chemical cluster by promoting complete industrial-urban symbiosis and closed material-, energy- and water-loops. Its vision is based on the specific knowledge in the region and its earlier experience with big transformation (from mining to a chemical hub), and now towards a global frontrunner in chemical- and material science as a driver for a circular economy.
This 2020-2030 Investment Agenda aims to guide the development of a European circular economy. It is an approach that will also inspire and support other chemical ecosystems in the Netherlands and Europe.
