Vattenfall - Air quality

Air quality

We work continuously to limit emissions to air from our plants. Thanks to increased efficiency and modernisation of our plants, emissions have decreased substantially over the last decade.

Overall reductions

Since 1990, the specific emissions of carbon dioxide (g/kWh) from Vattenfall’s operations, including acquired companies, have decreased by 36 per cent in electricity generation and 29 per cent in heat production. In Germany and Poland, the greatest source of air emissions is from the combustion of fossil fuels for electricity and heat.

Germany

In Germany, Vattenfall owns and operates Europe’s most modern and efficient fossil-fuel-based power plants.

Over the past ten years, there have been major investments made, to modernise the existing lignite-fired plants and construct new ones. Also, old plants have been shut down. Emission reductions per kWh:

• Carbon dioxide emissions – 30%
• Sulphur dioxide – 98%
• Nitrogen oxide – 87%
• Particles – 99%

Poland

Progress has also been made in Poland. Investments made in Warsaw in the 1990s have substantially improved air quality.

We have an ongoing modernisation programme for our Polish plants, and continuing investments will fulfil future EU emission standard requirements. Projected emission reductions per kWh:

• Sulphur dioxide – 60%
• Nitrogen oxides – more than 50%
• Particles – more than 90%

Denmark, Finland and Sweden

Hydropower and nuclear power account for most of our power generation in Sweden and Finland, although wind power is being expanded. As a result, emissions to atmosphere are low. In Denmark, we are operating more than 400 wind turbines, and we are studying the opportunities available for building a number of wind farms along the Baltic coast of Sweden. Biofuels for combined heat and power plants and for boiler stations cause low emissions of acidifying substances and carbon dioxide.