TVO invests in material efficiency
It is the national Energy Efficiency Week this week. TVO has also every year participated in the Week, which encourages us to pay attention also to material efficiency, in addition to energy efficiency. TVO has developed both energy and material efficiency from the very start of its operation. The efforts that have been invested have yielded results in terms of both costs and the environment.
At TVO, the improvement of material efficiency is reflected in the larger amount of electricity produced with the same amount of fuel. Today, design and development activities related to reactor physics and fuel technology have reduced both the consumption of natural uranium and the amount of enrichment work by ca. 30 % in TVO's environmentally friendly electricity production, which covers about one sixth of electricity consumption in Finland.
Durable and long-lived products guaranteed through purchasing
The objective is to purchase durable and long-lived products taking into account recycling and potential reuse at the end of the service life. Purchasing is planned with the safe, competitive and reliable operation and long service life of the plant units as the priority.
- All purchased products and services must meet TVO's requirements with respect to quality and environmental impact. The availability of products and services that are necessary for TVO's operation is verified through long-term purchasing agreements based on mutual trust and partnership, explains Mr. Keijo Latvala, Manager, Purchasing and Logistics.
Olkiluoto promotes circular economy
At the end of the product's lifecycle, the reuse of materials becomes a critical issue due to increased waste management expenses. Regulatory requirements will also stipulate a stricter definition of waste, resulting in an increasing amount of materials being recycled and reused.
Waste metal from Olkiluoto is delivered to Eurajoen Romu for processing and reuse.
- TVO has taken the recycling of processing co-products into account almost throughout the life of the existing plant units. For example, some 70% of landfill waste is reused either as material or energy, which can be considered a great achievement in Finland, says Markku Heponeva, TVO's environmental services expert.
Waste metal is utilised as raw material for metal industry, mainly in Finland. TVO's cooperation partner Eurajoen Romu Oy recycled a total of 525 tons of metal components from Olkiluoto in 2013.
Share