A power company and an energy company in Finland announced a cooperation agreement to utilize general waste from a nuclear facility and transform it into a clean energy source. The power company, Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), owns and operates the Olkiluoto nuclear power station where the waste is gathered. This is the first time that general waste from a nuclear power plant in Finland will be recycled for energy.

TVO’s combustible materials will be sent to Rauman Biovoima Oy’s heat and power plant for incineration. Waste items include, but are not limited to, overalls, gloves, and plastic coverings. This is important because these materials and items are not subject to radiation controls. According to TVO, this material has been declared safe to people and the environment in terms of its radiation properties. As a result, it can be treated as any combustible waste.

Turning Nuclear Waste Materials Into Energy

The plant where nuclear waste materials will be used as energy

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The plant where nuclear waste materials will be used as energy; Photo: Rauman Biovoima

Primarily, the new venture’s primary objective is to enhance waste utilization. Previously, engineers buried similar waste to dispose of it. However, this practice is more expensive and requires land resources. According to engineers, this new model offers clear environmental and economic advantages. TVO officials said, “The benefit of the new operating model is that the waste can now for the first time be reclaimed for reuse through burning it for energy.”

TVO estimates that the Olkiluoto facility will generate approximately 30 to 80 cubic meters of suitable waste annually.

The Rauman Biovoima CHP plant is vital to local infrastructure. For example, it supplies process steam, district heat, and electricity to a paper mill and the Rauman Energia power company. Additionally, it produces almost all the district heat needed for the city of Rauma. Typically, the plant relies on wood-based fuels such as forest industry waste and logging residues. Both companies hope that this partnership establishes a sustainable and cost-effective waste solution for the nuclear facility, while providing a new fuel source for the local CHP plant.