Summary of the EPD

Environmental information
A short summary of compiled data is presented below
per generated and distributed kWh electricity. The results
are presented in the following lifecycle modules.
Upstream
Core
Core – infrastructure
Mining & milling, conversion, enrichment and fabrication of nuclear fuel.
Production of auxiliary substances and chemicals for NPP and radioactive
waste handling.
Operation of NPP and facilities for handling radioactive waste. Incineration
or deposit of conventional waste from operations.
Construction and decommissioning of power plant and radioactive waste
facilities, including necessary reinvestments.
Downstream
Operation of electricity networks, i.e. emissions from inspection trips,
production and emissions of oils. Extra generation in NPP to compensate
for losses in distribution system.
Downstream
– infrastructure
Construction and decommissioning of the transmission grid and
distribution networks.
Distribution of electricity implies losses, which must
be compensated by increased generation. The loss to
an average large industrial customer connected to the
regional distribution network (70/130 kV) amounts to
3% (included in the downstream column below). The
losses are different for different types of customers
and often higher in the countryside. The average loss
to a household customer varies between 7–9%.
Ecoprofile
Input
Resource
Unit/
kWh
Upstream
Total –
generated
Core Core –
infrastructure
Downstream
1
Downstream
– infrastructure
Total –
distributed
Copper in ore g 9,6∙10 -3 1,4∙10 -5 2,9∙10 -3 1,2∙10 -2 3,7∙10 -4 6,8∙10 -3 2,0∙10 -2
Fossil energy resources kWh 1,3∙10 -2 7,1∙10 -4 1,7∙10 -3 1,6∙10 -2 7,0∙10 -4 5,0∙10 -3 2,1∙10 -2
Gravel, stone and sand g 1,3∙10 -1 1,0 6,0 7,1 2,1∙10 -1 5,7∙10 -7 7,4
Iron in ore g 1,4∙10 -1 1,4∙10 -3 2,2∙10- 1 3,6∙10 -1 1,1∙10 -2 6,4∙10 -1 1,0
Limestone g 2,2∙10 -1 3,3∙10 -3 1,9∙10 -1 4,2∙10 -1 1,3∙10 -2 2,9∙10 -1 7,2∙10 -1
Potential energy of water through
kWh 2,1∙10 -3 7,0∙10 -4 4,1∙10 -4 3,2∙10 -3 9,7∙10 -5 1,9∙10 -4 3,5∙10 -3
hydro turbines 2
Renewable fuel kWh 3,0∙10 -5 1,4∙10 -4 7,3∙10 -5 2,4∙10 -4 7,2∙10 -6 2,5∙10 -4
Soil g 1,3 1,3 4,0∙10 -2 1,4
Uranium in ore 3 g 2,1∙10 -2 1,5∙10 -5 1,2∙10 -5 2,1∙10 -2 6,4∙10 -4 2,5∙10 -6 2,2∙10 -2
Zirconium sand g 3,0∙10 -3 2,2∙10 -10 3,9∙10 -10 3,0∙10 -3 9,0∙10 -5 1,1∙10 -9 3,1∙10 -3
Electricity use in the power plant 4 kWh 3,3∙10 -2 3,3∙10 -2 9,8∙10 -4 3,4∙10 -2
Water, different sources g 9,4∙10 3 1,8∙10 1 1,0∙10 1 9,5∙10 3 2,8∙10 2 1,9∙10 1 9,8∙10 3
Input of material from the technosphere
(agglomeration of app. 40 substances)
g 6,5∙10 -3 2,4∙10 -4 2,6∙10 -4 7,0∙10 -3 3,0∙10 -4 3,6∙10 -4 7,7∙10 -3
1
Distribution losses of 3% of generated electricity are
included in the Downstream column.
2
Hydropower is reported as used potential energy (1 kWh
hydro electricity = 1,14 kWh potential energy).
3
Uranium used as fuel in NPP is presented in more detail
below the Ecoprofile.
4
It is assumed that this electricity is generated by the NPP
itself. The environmental impact is accounted for since
this amount of electricity has been subtracted from the
refeence flow.
5
High-level radioactive waste from electricity generation in
upstream processes is assumed to be further processed
and is not classified as waste in the generic data.
6
Final deposition of 1 ton radioactive demolition waste is
assumed to require 1 m 3 of underground deposit.
7
Spent fuel includes the complete fuel assemblies that has
been in the reactor core.
4 ©2011 Vattenfall AB, EPD Forsmark