Annual Report 1999 - Kemira

in plant ditches. Crossflow oxidation
scrubbers were upgraded to improve
chlorine control. An extensive soil and
ground water survey on the site did
not reveal significant reportable contamination.
The authorities issued two
consent orders and proposed two others,
mainly dealing with occasional releases
into the air.
The Pori plant managed to keep
low levels in all releases after the major
investment projects reported in
previous years. The renewal programmes
of digester gas scrubbing
systems and jet mill dust separation
were completed. Some difficulties
were encountered in complying with
the strict limit on NO x
in power plant
releases, requiring more efficient operational
control. A project for building a
new gypsum landfill was started. An
important waste management permit
was also obtained, mainly putting the
EU landfill regulations in place for the
piling and future rehabilitation of
waste and by-products at the site.
Sales of by-products remained at a
high level thanks to the efforts of a
new business unit.
Kemira Agro. At the Uusikaupunki
plants, nitrogen discharges diminished
because of closer spillage control. An
estimated amount of 5 tonnes of phosphorus
leaked accidentally into the sea
from a broken phosphoric acid loading
line in February.
The Harjavalta plant in Finland further
improved water recycling in its
methylene urea production and reduced
packaging waste. The plant also
decided to take part in an extensive
ground water management programme
with the authorities, the city and other
local industry.
The Fredericia plant in Denmark
improved energy efficiency and investigated
nitrous oxide emissions from
its nitric acid production. Kemira S.A./
N.V. stopped production at the smaller
sites in Longlier and Sombreffe in Belgium.
The Tertre plant obtained a new
waste water permit for the entire site
and the company continued with soil
and ground water investigations at
both Tertre and Willebroek.
Kemira Agro decided to stop production
at the Pernis site in the Netherlands,
partly due to difficulties in
meeting forthcoming environmental
requirements in a profitable manner.
Pending that, the plant continued with
investigations and pilot-tests of gypsum
re-use (Pro-Gips) and made preliminary
surveys for reducing dust
emissions and nitrogen discharges.
Kemira Agro Rozenburg B.V. installed
low-NO x
burners in its boilers
to reduce NO x
-emissions by about
50%. The plant had two environmental
incidents leading to major spills of nitrogen
into the water, and complaints
were made of heavy smoke caused by
the fire.
In the UK, the Ince plant investigated
possiblities to reduce air emissions
from the NPK plant and NO x
from the ammonia production. The
Environment Agency issued tighter
limits for NO x
from nitric acid production
as well as for ammonia discharges
into surface water. The bunding of
storage tanks was scheduled to the
end of 2001.
Tikkurila. VOC emissions from
Tikkurila’s production continued to
decrease in 1999. One objective of the
modernization of the plant automation
at the Tikkurila Paints plants in Vantaa,
Finland and Szczecin, Poland was to
reduce environmental releases. Similar
improvements were made by Tikkurila
Coatings at Bury in the UK.
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND
ENVIRONMENTAL BUSINESS
For a comprehensive discussion of this
topic, the reader is referred to our specific
report entitled ‘Products and the
Environment’.
Sales of environment- and safety-related
products and services totalled EUR
313 million in 1999 (see Figure 12).
Growth accelerated to 19% thanks to a
step-up in chlorine-free bleaching
agents, water treatment chemicals and
environmental equipment. Environmentdriven
businesses now account for more
than 12% of the Group’s net sales.
Market growth, price development
and the first full year of consolidation
Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9
LOST TIME INCIDENTS
30
25
NON-HAZARDOUS WASTE
Other countries
Finland
By-product/waste*, Finland
1000
tonnes
2500
2000
HAZARDOUS WASTE
TREATMENT
On-site
Off-site
Incineration
Final disposal
Tonnes
25000
20000
20
1500
15000
15
10
5
0
95 96 97 98 99 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
Number of incidents per million
working hours.
* Comprises three major material streams, which
are piled on site in Finland. The classification
of these as waste is a matter of interpretation.
1000
500
0
Recycling
Other
treatment
On-site incineration is not reported
in the data table as waste which is
finally disposed of.
10000
5000
0
56