At Danish Decommissioning , we work actively to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to increased sustainability through our work.
At Danish Decommissioning we work with Denmark's radioactive waste. Waste that we both receive from Danish society and generate ourselves in our daily work with the decommissioning of the nuclear facilities at Risø.
Since the establishment of Danish Decommissioning in 2003, the mission has been to decommission the nuclear facilities at Risø in a way that minimizes the amount of waste to be deposited in a final repository in the Danish subsoil by 2073.
Naturally, this places demands on the way Danish Decommissioning separates and handles the waste, including sorting the waste. Sorting that ensures that waste that can be sorted as conventional waste is recycled in the same way as Denmark's conventional waste.
Reuse and recycling
In the actual work of decommissioning the Risø experimental station, several choices have also been made with a view to the green transition and sustainability, including the reuse of both tools and materials whenever possible.
At Danish Decommissioning , we actively consider the need for purchasing new materials, tools, clothing and the like from a holistic perspective, where green transition, recycling and sustainability are also included as parameters.
Sustainability throughout the organisation
In addition to the craftsmanship of decommissioning, Danish Decommissioning also offers a number of functions of a more administrative nature.
Out of approximately 85 employees, 50 are employed in a position with primarily administrative work, and here too, sustainability, green transition and minimizing the carbon footprint are on the agenda.
In our procurement function, we work to buy sustainably, whether it's for decommissioning tasks or for administrative tasks.
Employees are encouraged to reduce energy consumption, both in terms of heat and electricity.
Waste sorting has also been implemented in the organisation, and work is ongoing to expand and further develop this scheme. In addition, employees are encouraged to make suggestions for sustainability work throughout the organisation.
New building provided new opportunities for sustainable initiatives
One of the most recent examples of the work with the green transition, sustainability and reducing the climate footprint is in connection with the establishment of Danish Decommissioning's latest building, colloquially known as "781".
It's inevitable that new construction consumes a lot of resources in a relatively short period of time. Nevertheless, Danish Decommissioning found itself in a situation where it was imperative to establish new and up-to-date office and meeting facilities, recognizing that the current premises no longer met its needs.
This new build was constructed in modules, which are inherently much more sustainable than the alternative. This is because the modules are built in a facility and the 90% finished modules are then transported to the final site, saving a lot of transportation of materials, etc.
In connection with the construction of building 781, solar cells were also installed on the roof to contribute to the green transition, as well as other environmental choices.
For example, Danish Decommissioning has chosen to reuse tiles from a previous building for the entrance in the interest of sustainability and reuse.
A greener future
At Danish Decommissioning we are actively working towards a greener future. Very symbolic for this part of the work is our ultimate goal to hand over our part of the Risø site as a "Greenfield". An area that can be used for whatever you decide in the future, as it is fully and completely decommissioned.
Throughout the journey towards this end goal, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, sustainability, carbon footprint and environmental considerations are significant parameters that help define the choices we make, both now and in the future.
All to ensure we do our part for a greener future.