Vattenfall - Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency

Energy efficiency has always been one of the most important development tasks for energy companies, and Vattenfall is no exception.

We are continuously working on improving the efficiency of our power plants. A major part of the task involves reducing the environmental impact of our operations and contributing to sustainable development.

In Germany, a EUR 9 billion programme has been conducted to modernise the East German power industry, primarily by upgrading plants and replacing older plants with new state-of-the-art facilities. Since 1990, the specific emissions of carbon dioxide (g/kWh) from Vattenfall´s operations, including acquired companies, have decreased by 30 per cent in electricity generation and 20 per cent in heat production. That is equivalent to more than 90 per cent of the reduction from heat and electricity generation in the energy supply industry in Germany. Other emissions such as particulates and sulphur dioxide are virtually all gone. Upgrading programmes are underway with the aim of increasing the capacity and environmental performance of existing nuclear and hydropower plants and combined heat and power stations in Denmark, Finland and Sweden.
Unit 3 at the North Jutland plant in Denmark has set a world record by achieving an efficiency of 91 percent for fuel utilisation in a coal-fired power plant on combined heat and power generation.