The Potato Processing Plant, owned by DSB, was demolished in the winter of 2023-24, and DSB expects to be able to reuse 121 tons of old bricks and steel beams.

The construction industry accounts for more than one-third of the total energy and material consumption in Denmark, so there are significant environmental and climate benefits by reusing building materials such as bricks and steel beams, as DSB is doing at the Agerbæk Potato Processing Center.
Per Pedersen, SYSTRA Denmark, Construction Manager on the Project
This is the first time that DSB is attempting to reuse building materials in this way, and at SYSTRA, we are pleased to have been involved in the project.
OLD BRICKS GET A NEW LIFE
Specifically, the many tons of old bricks from the demolition will be cleaned for later reuse in new DSB constructions. The same applies to the old steel beams, which will find new life elsewhere in their current form – possibly in the Jernbanebyen in Copenhagen. Unfortunately, the building’s old wood is rotten and cannot be reused. However, parts of the concrete can be crushed and used as a base layer for new roads and bike paths, according to DSB in a news article on their website.
SYSTRA provided consultancy services for obtaining permissions, environmental assessments, occupational safety and health, management of the demolition process, tender projects, and construction management and supervision.
The project has been carried out in close collaboration with Lendager Architects, who have acted as consultants for the initial resource mapping and the development of specifications for material recycling.



Photo: Lendager Arkitekter