Walki opts for carbon-neutral electricity

Walki has been using carbon-neutral electricity in its production in Finland since autumn 2008. The Valkeakoski and Pietarsaari plants are powered by electricity from sources that do not emit fossil carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

“With societies around the world worried about CO2 emissions and their possible impact on the climate, Walki wants to contribute to reducing emissions. The simplest way to do this is to lower the emissions we are able to control – our own, that is,” says Mats Holti, Director, Technology and Innovations, at Walki.

Walki’s electricity is carbon neutral thanks to it being produced using wind and hydroelectric power, biopower, solar power and nuclear power. The electricity that Walki, a producer of various types of packaging and barrier materials, uses at its Finnish plants corresponds to that consumed by 2,000 electricity-heated single-family homes. This translates to an annual reduction of up to 10,000 tonnes in CO2 emissions, assuming that all of the electricity previously used at Walki had been produced from, say, oil.

“That is rarely the case, however, since electricity production is usually based on various energy sources. In any case, we can guarantee that the electricity used here since last autumn is not based on fossil fuels,” says Holti.

The carbon-neutral scheme complies with Walki’s general policy on environmental and resource matters, which states that the company uses as few raw materials as possible to produce the best possible packaging.

“Energy is also a raw material. Walki will continue to conserve finite resources by reducing the use of non-renewable energy sources where possible,” says Holti.

Whether Walki’s units in other countries follow the carbon neutral scheme depends on the availability of suitable electricity and the opportunities presented in each country.