Air

In 2008, the second European emissions trading period began. WACKER participates in trading with its Burghausen and Nünchritz CHP plants. The two plants account for 82% of the Group’s total carbon dioxide emissions. The necessary emissions certificates were allotted to us free of charge for the 2008 – 2012 period.

In 2008, WACKER emitted some 976,000 metric tons of CO2 groupwide – 6% more than in 2007. This is due to higher, production-related energy demand.

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Emissions to Air

 

 

 

 

t

2008

2007

2006

1

Nitrous oxide emissions from the company’s own power plants were first included in 2008, as per the European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (E-PRTR).

 

 

 

 

CO2 carbon dioxide

976,041

922,978

941,572

Air Pollutants

 

 

 

NOx nitrogen oxides

997

846

804

NMVOC non-methane volatile organic compounds

501

687

560

CH4 methane

19

20

10

N2O nitrous oxide1

23

CO carbon monoxide

121

119

165

SF6 sulfur hexafluoride

HFC hydrofluorocarbons

4

9

1

PFC perfluorocarbons

Dust

42

37

39

Particulate matter

23

27

23

Carbon dioxide accounts for 98.7% of WACKER’s greenhouse-gas emissions (expressed as CO2 equivalents). The remaining 1.3% comprises nitrous oxide, fluorocarbons and other greenhouse gases. In 2008, WACKER emitted some 989,000 tons of greenhouse gases groupwide (2007: 936,000 tons).

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Greenhouse-Gas Emissions

 

 

 

 

t CO2e1

2008

2007

2006

1

t CO2e = metric tons of CO2 equivalents, as per Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scope 1 (direct emissions excluding indirect emissions from consumption of purchased energy).

 

 

 

 

CO2 carbon dioxide

975,931

922,978

941,572

N2O nitrous oxide

6,970

32

37

CH4 methane

487

427

200

HFC hydrofluorocarbons

5,165

12,098

1,050

PFC perfluorocarbons

577

SF6 sulfur hexafluoride

18

Climate protection is not only influenced by production, but also by the traffic load caused by employees. We encourage our employees to leave their cars at home. At our largest site, Burghausen, we provide commuter buses for shift workers. Siltronic’s Portland site (Oregon, USA) uses diverse measures to encourage its employees to be environmentally conscious in their travel behavior, e.g. subsidized tickets for local public transport.

During the reporting period, we replaced all the cars in our vehicle pools at our German sites with the fuel-efficient Passat TDI Bluemotion. For commercial vehicles such as fork-lift trucks, we are testing alternative fuels (e.g. natural gas and electric drives).