PARKACTIVE
WORLD’S FIRST ECO-INDUSTRIAL PARK FOR AGRIBUSINESS powered by Inside Sustainability
want an article created? inside-SUSTAINABILITY.com
apply here
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,
IN
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
2 Inside sustainablity
Inside sustainablity 3
PARKACTIVE
I
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
4 Inside sustainablity
“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
Inside sustainablity 5
PARKACTIVE
I
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.
6 Inside sustainablity
“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.”
n
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,
Inside sustainablity 7