Questions & answers

Vattenfall has set the target to reduce emissions of CO2 per kWh in the generation portfolio. The long-term target for the Vattenfall Group is a 50% reduction by 2030. Vattenfall’s climate vision is to be climate neutral by 2050, and by 2030 in the Nordic countries.

Activities and investments to reduce CO2 emissions include increasing generation from renewable energy sources, equipping coal-fired power plants with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, and increasing capacity of nuclear power. In addition, improvements are being made to existing technology in an effort to increase efficiency, resulting in reduced emissions per generated unit of electricity and heat.

Vattenfall is well aware that emissions of carbon dioxid and other green house gases are threatening the climate. We are a part of the problem, and therefore also a part of the solution. We have a strategy to decrease our emissions, and over time reduce them completely.

As the first energy company in the world, Vattenfall has the ambition to halfen its carbon emissions until 2030, and the become carbon neutral in 2050. Other utilities has since joined this ambition.

Vattenfall emitted 83 million tonne CO2 in 2008. Sweden emits about 60 million tonne per year.

Some critics feel that Vattenfall should not own coal fired power plants. We do not agree. Coal fired power plants do not just disappear if we get rid of them, and by that also the possibility to address the problem. We feel that it is better to take our responsibility for the climate change issue and do something actively about the emissions instead.

Today, we are facing two big challenges: the climate threat and the requirements for safe energy supply. We must always find a balance in order to be able to offer customers electricity and heat at reasonable terms. It takes time to rebuild our production units and we have to make demands, even on renewable solutions. No one will benefit from badly thought-out alternatives in the long run. The significant reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions must go hand in hand with smart investments that create future profit. Otherwise, finances will be drained and we will not be able to meet the climate challenge.

Whether a solution is good or not depends on the possible alternatives. Today 80% of the world’s energy supply is based on fossil fuels, and their share is slowly increasing. We have studied and closely charted ways in which we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There is no specific technique that can solve the problem, but there are a lot of different measures – more effective use, responsible use of forests and land, biomass, sun and wind – which together can contribute to reducing the emissions. However, the technique that can have the greatest impact is, in fact, the separation and storage of carbon dioxide.

The climate issue is a great challenge to mankind. There are solutions that can minimise the emissions by 50% by 2030 where the costs are fully manageable. The big challenge is political – we have to create joint solutions that will reduce the emissions in the global economy fast enough.

Nuclear power constitutes an important part of the electricity supply in Sweden and Germany. Vattenfall has been working with nuclear power for a long time. We are one of Europe’s biggest nuclear operators. All kinds of energy have their advantages and disadvantages; there are no simple solutions. Society needs energy and our responsibility is to propose different alternatives. We think nuclear power fulfils the challenging demands on reliability, safety and sound economics. Today we are very close to establishing a well-proven solution for the safe storage of nuclear waste. The electricity from a nuclear power station has very low greenhouse gas emissions even if we examine the matter also from a life cycle perspective i.e. all effects from A to Z.

Nuclear power is important in our electricity generation. On account of its very low CO2 emissions, environmental performance, competitiveness and safe operation, nuclear power will continue to be an important part of the energy system in the foreseeable future. We believe that nuclear power is needed as a stable base power source.

We generate power and heat based on the particular conditions in each country. These conditions vary due to differences in natural resources and history. In Sweden and Finland for example, conditions allow us to rely mainly on hydro and nuclear power. The available sources in Germany and Poland for example are mainly based on fossil fuels. No matter what energy sources we use, it is our aim to continue reducing our impact on the environment in all countries where we operate.

Vattenfall is working actively on reducing carbon dioxide emissions from our own operations, and our target is to cut our emissions in half by 2030, from 1990 levels. Due to the increased efficiency and modernisation of our plants, emissions have decreased substantially over the last fifteen years. In Germany, we have built the world’s first pilot plant for CCS – Carbon Capture and Storage – where the carbon dioxide from a coal-fired plant will be separated and then stored in bedrock. The aim is to almost entirely eliminate carbon dioxide emissions. We are also helping our customers use energy more efficiently, for example by improving the efficiency of the manufacturing processes of our corporate customers. On top of this, we are strongly engaged in international climate work where we are working to bring about a global accord on reducing greenhouse gases. This includes our launch of the global 3C initiative – Combat Climate Change – that has rallied the participation of some fifty international companies. Vattenfall has also created a Climate Map that includes analyses and suggestions on how emissions can be reduced globally.

Vattenfall’s climate work is based on three pillars; continuously reducing CO2 emissions from our own plants and operations, working internationally to promote a global agreement on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and helping customers save energy.