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4.4 Environmental affairs

4.4.1 Quantity and Treatment of Waste

Progress

b-c Quantity of waste for landfill and recycled annually (in kg).
Table 1. The total amount of waste from Fljótsdalsstöð power plant. (kg)
Year Waste for landfilla Waste for recyclingb Hazardous waste
2007 870 - -
2008 802 1.904 612
2009 2.702 4.507 268
2010 31.470 67.435 401
2011 13.400 11.050 1.080
2012 10.160 1.568 170
2013 4.220 4.730 281
2014 3.030 4.920 1.720
2015 5.930 15.100 1.743
2016 8.950 21.590 1.218
2017 4.600 4.320 12.585c
2018 2.820 3.595 543
2019 1.960 2.645 852
2020 2.600 1.307 1.074
2021 4.088 3.870 2.658
2022 2.480 140 991
a: Ungraded waste
b: Timber, metals, tires, plastic, and biological material.

c: Tar sand (used for sandblast) 12,000 kg.

Updated: March 31, 2023.
Source: Landsvirkjun (2023)

Table 2. The total amount of waste at Fjarðaál smelter. (tons)
Year Waste for landfilla Waste for recyclingb Special hazardous wastec Other hazardous waste
2008 252 45.590 3.320 59
2009 223 45.512 5.379 104
2010 206 42.129 4.629 119
2011 171 39.096 4.882 114
2012 190 46.285 7.586 82
2013 162 49.607 13.992 72
2014 138 52.737 12.987 105
2015 264 52.099 9.930 112
2016 337 54.861 6.543d 115
2017 342 48.515 5.679 158
2018 127 51.967 5.699 136
2019 4654 59.018 10.018 166

a: The majority of the waste for landfills is organic.
b: Sorted by-products from the production process, mostly cleaned anode butts, and general by-products (wood, metal, plastic, paper etc.) Mixed/unsorted waste is sent for incineration.
c: Hazardous waste developed during the production of aluminium, spent pot lining and aluminium slag. All special hazardous waste is recycled.
d: Some part of the special hazardous waste was sent for recycling in 2017.

Updated: June 4, 2020
Source: Alcoa Fjarðaál (2019-2020)

d. Total amount of spent pot lining (SPL) sent for recycling per ton of aluminium produced annually (in kg/metric ton)
Table 3. The total amount of spent pot lining (SPL) sent for recycling per ton of aluminium produced (kg/metric ton)
Fjarðaál Amount (kg/t of aluminum)
2011a 0,9b
2012 10,1
2013 27,0c
2014 28,2
2015 18,6
2016 7,6
2017 3,8
2018 3,0
2019 3,8
a: 2011 is the first year that SPL was sent for recycling.
b: The total quantity of SPL was 318.5 tons or 0.93 kg of SPL per produced ton of aluminium. The total aluminium production in 2011 was 340,742.13 tons.
c: The amount of SPL varies between years depending on the number of relined pots. The plans for pot relining range from 0 to 100 pots per year and the amount of SPL is almost 100 tons per pot. While aluminium production is stable between years this explains the fluctuation in the amount of SPL between years.

Updated: June 4, 2020
Source: Alcoa Fjarðaál (2019 - 2020)

Construction period

a. Quantity and treatment of solid waste left/landfilled in the project areas

Exact figures on the total amount of waste are not available. Concrete and neutral waste was landfilled in mining areas on project sites. When the sites were being finished, it was required that at least 4 m of soil covered the concrete and also that landscaping was in harmony with the surrounding landscape. The East Iceland Health Authority is responsible for the surveillance of the waste associated with the project areas.

b. Quantity of waste for landfill (in tons)
Table 4. The total amount of waste landfilled (tons) at the Kárahnjúkavirkjun power plant and by Bechtel at the aluminium smelter construction site in the years 2005-2010.
  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Kárahnjúkavirkjuna 2.511 1.988 2.000 3.413 - 25,2
Bechtel 144 - - - - -

a: General unsorted waste was landfilled.

Updated: December 11, 2014
Source: Landsvirkjun 2005-2013 og Bechtel 2007.

c. Amount of waste sold or recycled annually, in metric tons
Table 5. The total amount of waste sold or recycled (tons) at the Kárahnjúkavirkjun power plant and by Bechtel at aluminium smelter construction site.
  2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Kárahnjúkavirkjun 1.861 2.465 2.000 16.736 - 76,25
Bechtel 336          

Updated: December 11, 2014
Source: Landsvirkjun 2005-2013 og Bechtel 2007.

Metrics, Targets and Monitoring Protocol

What is measured?
  1. Total quantity of waste left behind/used for landfill in the Kárahnjúkavirkjun power plant area (project effect: direct).
  2. Total quantity of waste used for landfill (project effect: direct).
  3. Total quantity of waste recycled (project effect: direct).
  4. Spent pot lining (SPL) recycled (project effect: direct).
Monitoring Protocol
  1. Infomation collected monthly from rapports from contractors in the power plant area.
  2. Information collected simultaneously from emission rapports.
  3. Information collected simultaneously.
  4. Information collected simultaneously.
Targets
  • Waste send to destruction or waste used for landfill.
    • Fjarðaál: No waste will be used for landfill.
    • Kárahnjúkavirkjun power plant: No waste will be left behind or used for landfill in the power plant area in the end of the constructions except concrete from the construction time.
  • Recycling
    • Fljótsdalsstöð power plant: Recycling will be at least minimally recycling possibility in the area.
    • Fjarðaál: All waste will be sold or recycled.
  • Fjarðaál: 100% of spent pot lining (SPL) will be recycled.
Possible countermeasures

Alcoa Fjarðaál and Landsvirkjun have enviromental policies that are set to respect the environment.

See more:
Alcoa Environment

Landsvirkjun Environment

Changes of indicator

In annual general meeting May 6, 2015 a change in wording was approved.

Table 6. Changes accepted in annual general meeting 2015 to "What is measured?"
Part Original text Changed text
b. Total quantity of waste used for landfill yearly Total quantity of waste used for landfill
c. Ratio of waste sold or recycled yearly Total quantity of waste recycled
d. Spent pot lining (SPL) reused/recycled yearly Spent pot lining (SPL) recycled

Rationale for changes:

A recommendation was pronounced that no difference is made whether waste is sold or recycled, a total quantity of waste is displayed rather than ratio of waste for recycling and in part d the word "recycled" is used because spent pot lining (SPL) is only recycled, not reused.

This indicator was originally number 23.1. It was then named Quantity and Treatment of Solid Waste and can be found under that number in documents of the project from 2005 and 2006.

The indicator number has been changed twice.

Table 7. Changes to name and number of indicator
Year Nr. Indicator name
2020 4.4.1 Quantity and Treatment of Waste
2007 2.10 Quantity and Treatment of Waste

Baseline

Table 8. Total amount of waste from Fljótsdalsstöð power plant. (kg)
Year Waste for landfilla Waste for recyclingb Hazardous waste
2007 870 - -
Table 9. Total amount of waste at Fjarðaál smelter. (tons)
Year Waste for landfilla Waste for recyclingb Special hazardous wastec Other hazardous waste
2008 252 45.590 3.320 59
Table 10. Total amount of spent pot lining (SPL) sent for recycling per ton of aluminum produced (kg/metric ton)
Fjarðaál Amount (kg/t of aluminum)
2011a 0,9b

Rationale for Indicator Selection

Icelandic laws and regulations are the foundation of Icelandic policy for waste management. Most of these laws are based on EU directives. The main objectives of this policy include decreasing the total quantity of waste generated, increasing recycling and recovery, and reducing the quantity of waste deposited in landfills. Alcoa has direct control over the solid waste at their facility and can therefore control the generation and waste disposal so that it complies with government policy.

From phase I/II report on indicators and baseline from April 2005