Vattenfall - The environment

Forsmark and the environment

At Forsmark we are continually working to reduce the environmental impact of our operations. Our aims are to generate a good environment in our local area and to live up to the requirements imposed on us by public authorities and the outside world.

All forms of electricity production affect the environment in some way. Nuclear power comes off well from the environmental point of view in comparison with other techniques for producing electricity. This is true of the whole process, from uranium mining and fuel preparation to operation and waste management. A modern nuclear power plant does not, for example, release any greenhouse gases or environmental pollutants. The downside is the radiation risk. Nuclear power is therefore supervised closely and the environmental requirements are strict.

Emissions supervised closely

Over the course of a year, the emissions from a nuclear power plant are not allowed to increase the radiation in the immediate surroundings by more than 0.1 mSv, which is 10 per cent of the natural radiation. The actual emissions from Forsmark are far lower, about 0.2 per cent of the permitted value (less than the radiation you receive in an ordinary dental X-ray). Radiation is easy to measure, and regular checks and measurements are carried out, for instance on animals and plants. The results are reported every month to the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority.

The environmental work at Forsmark

We give high priority to environmental issues, and our work is based on a comprehensive perspective combined with preventive activity. Forsmark also imposes requirements on suppliers of goods and services concerning quality and environmental issues. As Forsmark’s operations are environmentally certified, we have an environmental management system in which we can organise our environmental work to ensure that it is continually improving. Below are some of the environmental measures we work with in our day-to-day operations:

• Reducing the amount of construction waste, cable scrap, scrap metal and wood waste that is to be sent to landfill sites.
• Implementing internal energy-saving measures.
• Reducing electricity consumption in Forsmark’s student accommodation.
• Reducing the consumption of chemicals such as sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide.
• Replacing oil in the transformers that contain PCB.

Forsmark’s environmental certifications

Since February 2001, Forsmark has been the first nuclear power plant in the world to supply EPD certified electricity. The EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) is no traditional eco-label, rather an environmental product declaration that specifies the environmental impact of each kilowatt-hour of electricity from Forsmark. In December 1998, Forsmark became only the fourth nuclear power plant in the world to be certified in accordance with ISO 14001, the standard for environmental management. In November 1998, Forsmark was registered in accordance with EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme). EMAS is the EU’s voluntary environmental control and environmental audit decree, a set of rules to help companies manage their environmental work.