Environmental Protection Costs
In 2016, WACKER invested €5.5 million in environmental protection (2015: €5.7 million). Environmental operating costs amounted to €81.0 million (2015: €83.8 million). Examples of investment in environmental protection include the Fentox® split-stream treatment plant at the Burghausen site, and modifications to the filtration systems in silicon-metal production at the Holla site in Norway to reduce dust.
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€ million |
2016 |
2015 |
2014 |
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Operating costs |
81.0 |
83.3 |
88.2 |
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Investments |
5.5 |
5.7 |
5.1 |
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Investments in environmental protection |
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Water pollution control |
3.3 |
1.9 |
4.1 |
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Waste management |
1.6 |
2.3 |
– |
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Noise reduction |
0.1 |
– |
– |
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Air pollution control |
0.5 |
0.9 |
0.8 |
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Climate protection |
– |
0.3 |
0.2 |
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Soil remediation |
– |
0.3 |
0.0 |
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Nature conservation and landscape management |
– |
– |
– |
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Silicon
After oxygen, silicon is the most common element on the earth’s crust. In nature, it occurs without exception in the form of compounds, chiefly silicon dioxide and silicates. Silicon is obtained through energy-intensive reaction of quartz sand with carbon and is the most important raw material in the electronics industry.