Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster: a new paradigm for a local circular economy in renewable energy and waste recycling in Poland

This policy brief describes the Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster in Poland, an initiative led by Słupsk Waterworks to create a local circular economy. The cluster integrates renewable energy production from wind, solar, and biogas with waste recycling, utilizing a dedicated distribution network to provide stable, low-cost energy to local businesses and city facilities.

• The Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster, formed in October 2017, is a collaborative system where energy users and suppliers provide wastewater and biomass waste to the Słupsk wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) to produce renewable electricity and heat.
• By 2020, the cluster's energy distribution system is expected to link 20 participating businesses and city facilities, serving 40,000 electricity users and 120,000 wastewater customers.
• The Słupsk WWTP is a central component of the circular economy model, producing BIOTOP fertilizer from composted sludge (90% of sludge is composted) since 2004, which returns phosphorus to local agricultural land in Słupsk County.
• The Słupsk WWTP is highly cost-efficient, ranking as the third cheapest to operate among Poland's 47 largest wastewater treatment plants.
• To avoid reliance on coal-based energy suppliers who denied access to their transmission lines, the cluster had to build its own self-sufficient electricity grid to handle renewable energy.
• The Polish Ministry of Energy has twice designated the Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster as a national model due to its coordination between municipal officials and business partners and its use of EU and national financing.
• The document recommends national policy changes to improve renewable energy market access and the faster implementation of EU regulations, such as the "RED II" directive and the "Winter Package," to bridge the gap between EU goals and local innovation.

APA

Rasmussen, M., Giełczewski, M., Wójtowicz, A., Barquet, K., & Rosemarin, A. (2020). Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster: a new paradigm for a local circular economy in renewable energy and waste recycling in Poland. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/bonusreturn-policybrief2020-poland-eng.pdf

Chicago

Rasmussen, Mark, Marek Giełczewski, Andrzej Wójtowicz, Karina Barquet, and Arno Rosemarin. Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster: a new paradigm for a local circular economy in renewable energy and waste recycling in Poland. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2020. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/bonusreturn-policybrief2020-poland-eng.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rasmussen |first1=Mark |last2=Giełczewski |first2=Marek |last3=Wójtowicz |first3=Andrzej |last4=Barquet |first4=Karina |last5=Rosemarin |first5=Arno |title=Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster: a new paradigm for a local circular economy in renewable energy and waste recycling in Poland |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=February 2020 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/bonusreturn-policybrief2020-poland-eng.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rasmussen2020supsk, author = {Rasmussen, Mark and Giełczewski, Marek and Wójtowicz, Andrzej and Barquet, Karina and Rosemarin, Arno}, title = {{Słupsk Bioenergy Cluster: a new paradigm for a local circular economy in renewable energy and waste recycling in Poland}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2020}, month = feb, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/bonusreturn-policybrief2020-poland-eng.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }