Environmental Impacts
The environmental work of the Loviisa power plant is guided by the environmental standard ISO 14001. The system covers all operations by the Loviisa power plant and its contractors who work at the island of Hästholmen.
The Loviisa power plant plays a significant role in Finland in producing reliable, low-carbon electricity and in advancing the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. The lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions of the Loviisa power plant are at the same level as, or even lower than, those of very low-emission renewable energy generation technologies.
The power plant’s most significant environmental impact during operation is the thermal load on the sea caused by the cooling water, which heats up by about 10 degrees as it passes through the plant. In practice, two-thirds of the thermal energy produced by the reactor ends up in the sea with the cooling water. According to temperature measurements, the discharged water raises the temperature of the sea water during the growing season by about 1-2.5 degrees within a 1-2 kilometre range from the discharge point.
Life Cycle Assessment of the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant
According to the life cycle assessment (LCA) of the Loviisa nuclear power plant, the cradle-to-grave climate emissions of the electricity produced at the plant amount to 6.08 g CO₂e per kilowatt-hour generated. The analysis takes into account all stages of production, including uranium mining, construction and decommissioning of the plant, electricity generation, final disposal of nuclear waste, and even the construction and dismantling of the electricity grid.
Environmental monitoring
Emissions from the power plant and their impact on the environment are monitored in accordance with monitoring programmes approved by the authorities. Annual monitoring reports are prepared. For cooling and waste water, the programme includes load monitoring and monitoring of the surrounding sea area for water quality and fisheries.
Monitoring of radioactive discharges and their effects will be carried out in the framework of the environmental radiation monitoring programme. Samples are taken from, inter alia, the air we breathe, seawater, environmental vegetation and various stages of the human food chain. Sample analyses are carried out by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority's Research and Environmental Monitoring Department.
Waste management