Waste management

Vattenfall continuously investigates ways to further decrease the amounts of waste and by-products created by our operations. We strive to enable re-use of ash by applying quality and environmental standards. Hazardous waste is treated according to permits and regulations.

We also make efforts to convert waste and by-products into useful products. Here are some examples of what we do:

Use of by-products

The most significant by-products are ash from lignite- and coal-fired plants, and gypsum from flue-gas desulphurisation. This gypsum is sold to Europe’s gypsum and cement industry.
Ash from lignite power plants is mainly used in the open-cast mining area for landscaping in the post-mining environment. Ash from Vattenfall’s hard coal combustion in Germany, Poland and Denmark is used in the construction industry and for road construction.
As biomass fuel use increases, ash from biomass fuels is also increasing.

When ash and by-products are substituted for other materials, it leads to less consumption of new resources. It also significantly reduces the amount of ash that has to be deposited. Most ash and mineral by-products from Vattenfall plants are re-used, and increased use is encouraged. Studies show that the risks associated with using ash as construction material are very small.

Some ash needs stricter handling, however. Ash from waste incineration is strictly regulated. Ash is reused to the greatest possible extent, and smaller fractions with high metal content are deposited at special sites. 

Responsible handling of nuclear waste

In Sweden, we work closely with the nuclear power industry and the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering SKB). We aim to find reliable and acceptable solutions for the management of nuclear waste from our nuclear power plants. In Germany, the requirements and limitations when handling nuclear waste differ from those in Sweden. Authorities in Germany investigate the final storage of spent nuclear fuel.

Gypsum is produced by the flue gas desulphurisation process that reduces sulphur dioxide emissions at our power plants. This is either stored for later use or taken directly to market. Our gypsum is a clean and competitive product. Some plants can also recover concentrated sulphuric acid, which is sold to the fertiliser industry.

Ash, a residual product from the combustion processes in our thermal plants, is mostly used for construction purposes or in the re-cultivation of land after lignite mining. Ash is also sold for use in the production of cement or concrete.