Haraholmen is an industrial park that brings together many sustainable initiatives and solutions to increase their positive impact. The site uses renewable energy, welcomes companies with a focus on environmental sustainability and is a hub for resource-efficient transport with access to roads, railways and a deepwater port.
Located 10 km outside Piteå in northern Sweden, Haraholmen is a modern, green industrial park where sustainability is key. The area consists of two neighbouring sites that are zoned, levelled, and planned for industrial use. Area 1 consists of 34 hectares and area 2 about 75 hectares. The site provides green infrastructure for resource and energy efficiency, including electricity from renewable sources. Furthermore, Haraholmen is a regional hub for competitive and resource-efficient transport with access to roads, railways, and a deepwater port.
Research-driven development
The concept behind Haraholmen has been developed by the City of Piteå in collaboration with Luleå Technical University and the Swedish research institute RISE. The result is an innovative industrial park where sustainability has been integrated into the basic infrastructure, lowering CO2 emissions for industrial businesses. Green electricity is produced locally, district heating and cooling is provided from the on-site SunPine bio-refinery, while many transport options ensure resource-efficient logistics. And to facilitate green commuting to work, fossil-free public transport connects Haraholmen to the city centre.
Piteå is continuing to develop Haraholmen as new technologies and innovations emerge. Making strategic decisions and choosing sustainable options ensures the industrial park is ready for the future. The location makes it suitable for hydrogen projects, which could further strengthen the environmental profile of the area.
Companies with green profiles
The industries located at Haraholmen all have one thing in common; a focus on environmental sustainability. To meet the goal of developing a green industrial park, the city has welcomed companies that focus on innovations, renewable materials and resource-efficient production. They include wooden-building manufacturer Lindbäcks Bygg and the SunPine bio-refinery.
Leading manufacturer of prefabricated wooden buildings
Lindbäcks Bygg is Sweden’s leading manufacturer of prefabricated wooden buildings. It designs, builds and develops environmentally friendly, resource-efficient structures for a more sustainable future. Not only is wood a renewable building material that can be used and processed in many ways with minimal CO2 emissions, but it’s also a local resource.
At its Haraholmen factory, Lindbäcks has developed the world’s most modern facility for producing apartment buildings, with an industrial process based on lean manufacturing. It prefabricates complete building modules, which are then transported to and assembled directly on site. Compared with traditional on-site construction using concrete and steel, this method reduces CO2 emissions by 50%.
Lindbäcks’ facility is both resource and cost efficient, with a high level of employee safety. The production line minimises waste and ensures a safe working environment by reducing heavy lifting and unsafe practices. The factory runs on solar and hydro power, and uses district heating from its neighbour SunPine.
World-leading bio-refinery
SunPine is a world-leading bio-refinery, providing innovative and sustainable products based on raw tall oil, a residual product from paper mills. It primarily extracts tall diesel, a biofuel with low CO2 emissions and low energy consumption during its production and life cycle. The refinery produces over 150 million litres of tall diesel per year, which is distributed to consumers by fuel and service station company Preem. SunPine reduces fossil CO2 emissions by 250,000 tonnes a year, equivalent to emissions from 300,000 diesel vehicles.
SunPine’s vision is to extract renewable products for tomorrow’s generations. One way is using residual products from sustainable forestry. This sustainability mindset is present throughout its entire business model. SunPine’s Haraholmen plant produces several different products, including tall diesel, rosin, bio-oil and turpentine. The waste heat generated from cooling during manufacturing is used for district heating, at its own plant and for some of the neighbouring businesses at the industrial park.
