Operation complied with the legislation, environmental permits and the environmental management system in 2017.
The purpose of the yearly targets is to minimize the adverse impacts in all stages of electricity production. In order to achieve the targets, procedures, responsibilities, and timetables are set. To ensure continuous improvement the implementation of the targets are monitored regularly.
The cooling water temperature stayed within the limits specified in the environmental permit during the whole year. The extended voluntary monitoring of seawater temperature was continued in the sea areas near Olkiluoto, and measurements were carried out to obtain new information about the spreading of cooling water into the sea area. The analysis of the obtained results was further developed and the results will be utilised in the future in the determination of the baseline state of the environment.
TVO has recognized the environmental aspects and risks according to the requirements of the environmental management system. The procedures for the assessment of environmental risks were developed. In the future, risk assessments will be carried out in connection with the OHS assessments implemented by the occupational safety organisation. Development efforts will be continued in compliance with the environmental programme.
TVO has an environmental plan for the OL3 plant unit that includes procedures for the management of environmental impacts. The plan was updated to the commissioning stage in 2017.
The supply of sodium hypochlorite used for the prevention of Cordylophora caspia (freshwater hydroid) was optimised at the OL1/OL2 plant units according to the specified target. The improvement and development actions identified in the self-evaluation of chemical management were implemented during the year and the procedures for the approval of chemicals were extended to cover the whole TVO Group.
The maintenance and development of the energy efficiency system and activities were continued. Training was provided for both TVO's own personnel and cooperation partners in the determination of measures designed to produce energy savings in a techno-economically lucrative manner.
In 2017, TVO continued conducting baseline state reviews in all of the buildings that had not been reviewed yet. In addition, compressed air system was reviewed in OL1, unit performance tests and energy analyses were conducted to both operational plant units after the annual outage.
Key figures describing biodiversity have been introduced in Olkiluoto for the monitoring of changes in the state of the environment, and the factors causing such changes.
The amount of waste delivered to the landfill in Olkiluoto for final disposal was aboyt 2% of the total amount of waste. Waste management was developed in Olkiluoto by starting the renewal project of the waste sorting instructions and giving waste sorting training, for example.
Training related to TVO's environmental responsibility was provided for external personnel involved in annual outages as well as communication was enhanced with interactive info screens.
The environmental and energy efficiency training of the personnel and cooperation partners operating in Olkiluoto was reformed during the year. Environmental responsibility is addressed in many of the training events in the TVO Group and information about it has been communicated through many different channels to ensure that everybody working in Olkiluoto is familiar with the environmental principles and objectives of the TVO Group, and the agreed procedures and practices related to environmental issues.
The number of proactive environmental observations made by the personnel and cooperation partners wanted to be increased considerably, and the objective was achieved with 120 submitted environmental observations.
Surrounded by four nature conservation areas, the small island of Olkiluoto produces around one sixth of all the electricity used in Finland. The target is to operate according to strategic planning in operations by centralising energy production into a small area to minimise the environmental impact and to make it possible to preserve other areas in their natural state. A steering group for infrastructure and land use adapts infrastructure designed and implemented in the area to the natural environment paying particular attention to natural sites and nature conservation areas.
The environmental issues related to the cooperation partners operating in Olkiluoto were monitored through regular environmental inspection rounds. TVO updated the contractors' guidelines related to requirements that concern environmental issues and increased the coverage of supplier assessment surveys.
The foreign material exclusion (FME) team has increased the awareness of the personnel and the cooperation partners of the challenges related to foreign materials, improved foreign material observation practices, and reduced the foreign material risks of the process through training and practical exercises. In addition, new and better FME-covers were introduced.
Radioactive emissions to the air remained well below the regulatory limits of the authorities despite the fuel leak at OL1. TVO's own targets defined in the ALARA programme were not achieved in terms of noble gases and iodine.
Radioactive emissions into water bodies (fission and activation products) were considerably lower than the regulatory limits of the authorities.
Risks are actively identified and measured for their probability and consequences by maintaining the Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) up-to-date. Identified risks are mitigated according to the Safety As High As Reasonably Achievable (SAHARA) principle. Following the Fukushima accident, TVO has further developed the capabilities of the plant units against extreme nature phenomena and simultaneous losses of power supply. Plant modifications related to these capabilities have been started, and also implemented in parts, which has already been reflected in a considerable reduction of the nuclear safety risk. The rest of the improvements will be implemented in the upcoming years. The changes that occurred in the core damage risk and radioactive emissions risk assessed using the PRA procedure were due to plant modifications as well as improvements made in the PRA models of the plant units.