FOR A CLEAN AND MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD
For a clean and more sustainable world DEVELOPING CIRCULAR
Westenergy, and the plant provides elec-
ECONOMY TOGETHER
tricity to some 10 000 households annually. In the summer, all the district heating
Westenergy is a company operating in
needed in the region is produced by West-
circular economy, refining the non-recy-
energy, and extra heat is stored in Vaasan
clable waste of some 500 000 people into
Sähkö and EPV Energia’s energy storage.
heat, electricity, and renewable materials. Westenergy’s owner basis is formed by six
The bottom slag, or ash, of the plant is pro-
municipal waste management companies
cessed by Suomen Erityisjäte. Metals in
located in western Finland - Botniarosk,
the ash are recycled, and the ash is used
Lakeuden Etappi, Loimi-Hämeen Jäte-
in ground construction and in the produc-
huolto, Millespakka, Stormossen and
tion of concrete elements and yard stones
Vestia.
as its properties resemble those of stone aggregate.
Westenergy’s cooperation partner in the energy sector is Vaasan Sähkö, and it is
Westenergy participates also in several re-
Vaasan Sähkö’s turbine and generator
search and development projects that aim
that turn Westenergy’s steam energy into
at optimising the plant operation and pro-
electricity and heat. Over half of the district
mote the growth of circular economy in the
heating in the Vaasa region is produced by
entire operation area.
RE
duce use cycle fine
190 000
electricity with a
of source-separated waste in a year to energy recovery
output to the national grid
15 MW
tonnes
2 000
district heating with a
55 MW
output to households and companies in the Vaasa region
Over
30 000
tonnes of metal in a
tonnes of ash in a year to infrastructure construction
year to recycling
99 %
of impurities in the flue gases removed
30
energetic employees to make all this happen
Energy recovery as part of circular economy A central goal in circular economy is to keep materials and their value in circulation. In this way, natural resources are used sustainably, and as little waste is generated as possible. Recycling
Waste to energy recovery
has, therefore, a key role in circular economy. Energy recovery of waste continues the chain of circular economy after recycling: in waste-to-energy plants, non-recyclable waste becomes raw material for energy production and is converted into heat and electricity. Waste replaces fossil fuels, and CO2 emissions
Electricity
of energy production have, therefore, decreased significantly during the last few years in Finland. The bottom slag, or ash, of waste-to-energy plants is also a
Recycled waste
valuable material – metals in the ash are separated and recycled into new products, preserving natural resources, and ash is used as ground construction material and as raw material for concrete products. Using ash replaces the use and take of gravel and natural sand which decreases environmental stress significantly.
Recycled products, biogas, compost soil
Ash
Metal
Separation & processing
Mineral fraction
District heat
Metal products
Concrete elements
Ground construction
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