Energy efficiency a key priority
The steel industry is energy intensive and Outokumpu's steelmaking and rolling processes are no exception. We do however recognise the need for energy to be used efficiently. Hard work has given the Group a very good record in reducing energy consumption, and Outokumpu processes are considered to be Best Available Techniques (BAT) as defined in the EU's integrated pollution prevention and control directive. Energy consumption in our ferrochrome production in Tornio, for example, is very close to the theoretical minimum and only two thirds of the level in traditional processes. Process heat is recovered and used for heating.
Outokumpu sites use a range of fuels including direct energy sources such as natural gas, propane, heavy fuel oil and electricity. Direct energy use by the Group totalled 13 million gigajoules (GJ) in 2009. Electricity consumption totalled 7.4 million GJ (2.1 million megawatt hours), which is in practice some 25% of the annual capacity of a modern 1600 MW nuclear power plant.