Industry in Gelderland’s climate opportunities map
Industry accounts for around a quarter of Gelderland’s greenhouse gas emissions, with waste incineration and landfills as the largest non-energy sources. Four modelled solutions together deliver up to 1.7 Mt CO₂-eq reduction and 0.23 Mt sequestration in 2030. Part of the Gelderland Climate Opportunities Map and the Climate Action Recap service.
Opportunities in industry
The largest opportunities lie in energy efficiency, capturing landfill gas and CO₂ at the waste incineration plant, and biobased construction materials that store carbon long-term. Together good for 769 to 1,725 kt CO₂-eq reduction and 116 to 231 kt sequestration in 2030.
About this sector analysis
- Prepared for
- Province of Gelderland.
- Part of
- The Gelderland Climate Opportunities Map (five sectors).
- The question
- Map which climate solutions reduce and sequester the most CO₂-eq in Gelderland’s industry, and how much potential lies between the Estimate and Ambitious scenarios.
- Method
- The Drawdown methodology, applied to industry emissions in Gelderland.
- Most notable result
- Energy efficiency is by far the largest reduction item (up to 950 kt CO₂-eq), while biobased construction stores carbon long-term in construction materials (up to 231 kt) and gives farmers a new revenue model.
The challenge in industry
Gelderland’s industry accounts for around a quarter of the province’s greenhouse gas emissions. The largest emissions do not come from heavy base industry, but from waste processing: waste incineration plants are the largest single source at around 1,012 kt CO₂-eq (2021), followed by landfills at around 660 kt. Electricity consumption and the paper, food and construction materials industries also contribute significantly.
The Province of Gelderland is working towards a 55% reduction relative to 1990: from 23.6 Mt to 10.6 Mt CO₂-eq per year. With current emissions at 18.1 Mt, there is a task of at least 7.5 Mt across all sectors. Industry contributes through efficiency and capturing emissions, and after 2030 becomes part of the solution itself through the production of biobased construction materials.
Reduction versus sequestration. Reduction prevents greenhouse gases from being created or released. Sequestration removes CO₂ from the air and stores it long-term in soil, biomass or long-lived materials. Some solutions do both.
Largest sources
Waste incineration plants have shown a rising trend since 1990 and form the largest source of industrial emissions in the province. Landfilling is the second source, followed by the production of paper (products), food and beverages, and construction materials. Electricity consumption is also a significant source, but that power is generated outside the province: the emission occurs elsewhere and is attributed to Gelderland’s industry as the consumer.
| Source | Emissions 2021 (kt CO₂-eq) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Waste incineration plants | around 1,012 | Largest direct source; rising trend since 1990. |
| Electricity consumption | around 953 | Indirect source; generated outside the province, attributed to Gelderland’s industry as the consumer. |
| Landfilling | around 660 | Second direct source. |
| Paper (products) | around 561 | Production of paper and paper products. |
| Food and beverages | around 448 | Processing in a province with historically strong agriculture. |
| Construction materials | around 357 | Production of concrete, asphalt and other construction materials. |
The solutions at a glance
Four solutions have the greatest potential in Gelderland’s industry. Three reduce emissions, one stores carbon long-term. The table shows the range per solution from the Estimate to the Ambitious scenario for 2030. An explanation of each solution follows below.
| Solution | Reduction 2030 (kt CO₂-eq, Estimate → Ambitious) | Sequestration 2030 (kt CO₂-eq, Estimate → Ambitious) | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy efficiency | 410 → 950 | – | 1.5% annual energy savings at businesses; saves costs and emissions at the same time, with relatively low risks at scale. |
| Landfill gas capture | 209 → 475 | – | Capturing and burning landfill gas for energy. Estimate closes and caps two of the four active landfills, Ambitious all four. |
| CO2 capture at the waste incinerator | 150 → 300 | – | CO₂ capture at the waste incineration plant in Duiven. The 300 kt in Ambitious is almost a third of the province’s total waste-incineration emissions. |
| Biobased construction | – | 116 → 231 | Flax, hemp and elephant grass as construction material. Stores carbon long-term, replaces concrete and steel, and gives farmers a new revenue model. |
Energy efficiency
Reduction 2030: 410 kt (Estimate) to 950 kt (Ambitious). The largest reduction item within industry.
This solution follows the ‘Energy savings at businesses’ measure from the Gelderland Climate Plan: an annual energy saving of 1.5%. The starting point is that industry saves at least 1.5% of energy annually through smart measures, energy efficiency, setting up energy cooperatives on business parks, and adjusted consumption during peak production moments. Businesses with an energy use of 50,000 kWh electricity or 25,000 m³ natural gas are legally required to take all energy-saving measures with a payback period of five years or less.
Low-hanging fruit. Investing in energy efficiency pays off, since it saves both costs and emissions; scaling up therefore carries relatively little risk. The largest additional potential between Estimate and Ambitious lies here: 540 kt CO₂-eq.
Landfill gas capture
Reduction 2030: 209 kt (Estimate) to 475 kt (Ambitious).
Landfill gas is captured and burned for energy generation, while the landfill is further capped. In the Estimate scenario, two of the four active landfills in Gelderland are closed and capped; in Ambitious, all four. Landfills already emerged in the DERA analysis as a major opportunity for emission reduction.
From Estimate to Ambitious. The difference between the two scenarios is 266 kt CO₂-eq of additional reduction.
CO₂ capture at the waste incinerator
Reduction 2030: 150 kt (Estimate) to 300 kt (Ambitious).
Through to 2030, work continues on realising CO₂ capture at the waste incineration plant in Duiven: 150 kt in Estimate and 300 kt in Ambitious. There is already talk of possible storage of 300,000 tonnes of CO₂-eq per year, almost a third of the total emissions from waste incineration plants in the province. During the transformation of waste incineration, CO₂ can be stored underground or reused.
Avoid lock-in. Investments in capture infrastructure create incentives to keep incineration running longer than necessary, while by 2050 all material flows need to be circular.
Biobased construction
Sequestration 2030: 116 kt (Estimate) to 231 kt (Ambitious). The only solution that stores carbon long-term.
Flax, hemp and elephant grass are grown and processed into construction materials such as insulation. In the Estimate scenario, the area grows from 200 hectares (2026) to 4,000 hectares by 2030, with around 2,375 hectares of flax and hemp and around 1,625 hectares of elephant grass. In Ambitious, this rises to 8,000 hectares by 2030, with around 4,750 hectares of flax and hemp and around 3,250 hectares of elephant grass.
Biobased construction has a threefold positive effect: it stores CO₂ that trees and plants have absorbed from the air, it displaces high-emission materials such as concrete and steel, and it offers a new revenue model for farmers who produce the materials.
Regenerative scenario. On top of Ambitious, a further 250 kt CO₂-eq of additional sequestration comes into view for biobased construction.
Two scenarios
The analysis works with two main scenarios. Estimate contains what is feasible with existing policy and market development. Ambitious adds acceleration and extra effort. A third, Regenerative scenario adds a further 250 kt CO₂-eq of additional sequestration for biobased construction on top of that.
Estimate
Reduction with existing policy and market development, plus 116 kt CO₂-eq sequestration through biobased construction. Two of the four landfills capped and 150 kt CO₂ capture at the waste incineration plant in Duiven.
Ambitious
Reduction with accelerated effort, plus 231 kt CO₂-eq sequestration. All four landfills capped, 300 kt CO₂ capture at the waste incinerator and a doubling of the biobased area.
The difference between the two scenarios totals around 955 kt of additional reduction and 115 kt of additional sequestration. Per solution: energy efficiency 540 kt, landfill gas capture 266 kt and CO₂ capture at the waste incinerator 150 kt reduction, plus 115 kt of additional sequestration through biobased construction.
Method and sources
The analysis follows the Drawdown methodology (Project Drawdown), applied to Gelderland’s industry emissions. Reduction and sequestration potential were calculated per solution in the Estimate and Ambitious scenarios, with an additional Regenerative scenario, based on public datasets, sector benchmarks and Gelderland’s climate policy. The full assumptions, system boundaries and source references are set out in the PDF.
Indicative, for prioritisation. The figures organise opportunities and are not project-specific guarantees. Free to use under CC BY 4.0, with attribution.
Frequently asked questions
The largest opportunities in Gelderland’s industry are energy efficiency, capturing landfill gas, CO2 capture at the waste incineration plant in Duiven, and biobased construction. Energy efficiency delivers the largest reduction; biobased construction stores carbon long-term in construction materials.
The four solutions together deliver 769 to 1,725 kt CO2-eq reduction and 116 to 231 kt CO2-eq sequestration per year in 2030, depending on the Estimate or Ambitious scenario.
Reduction prevents greenhouse gases from being created or released. Sequestration removes CO2 from the air and stores it long-term in soil, biomass or long-lived materials. Some solutions do both.
This sector analysis is part of the Gelderland Climate Opportunities Map, which sets out five sectors side by side: energy, built environment, agriculture and land use, mobility and industry.
Further reading
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