The waste generated by IBERDROLA can be divided into two groups: waste originating in the generation process and waste originating in facilities and offices which is not linked directly to the electricity production process and is generated in maintenance, operation, management and other activities.

• Waste Management
• Production Process Waste
• Nuclear waste
• Other waste

Waste Management

The waste generated by the Company at the different activities of construction, operation and maintenance of facilities and offices are properly management in according to the type of waste.

The chart below shows the source of the Company's waste production:

The waste generated can be divided into two groups: waste originating in the generation process and waste originating in facilities and offices which is not linked directly to the electricity production process and is generated in maintenance, operation, management and other activities.

Fly ash and slag in the thermal power plant generation process are the most typical types of waste, together with nuclear waste. Approximately 90% of fly ash is reused to produce cement and as filling in infrastructure work; boiler slag is managed for disposal.

The nuclear waste produced is known as conditioned intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste, i.e., ready for storage at the El Cabril warehouse. The IBERDROLA nuclear power plants are included in the Environmental Radiological Monitoring Programme of the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council, which involves taking samples of air, water, soil, etc. on a regular basis in order to ensure that all the parameters are within the established limits(1).

In connection with the hazardous waste generated in maintenance, operation, management and other activities, the various areas in the Company carry out actions aimed at minimising and improving management of this type of waste under the certified environmental management systems. This waste is delivered periodically to authorised managers for proper treatment.

Finally, as regards non-hazardous waste, the Company draws up minimisation and recycling plans, in addition to conducting awareness campaigns that result in the adoption of best environmental practices by the employees.

Production Process Waste

Fly ash and slag in the thermal power plant generation process are the most typical types of waste. 944,244 tonnes of fly ash were produced in 2012, 355,099 tonnes in Spain and 589,145 tonnes in the United Kingdom; of the total, 25.7% was reused to produce cement and as filling in infrastructure work. 136,223 tonnes of boiler slag and non-fly ash were also produced, which were managed for disposal; 18,1% was reused and the rest was sent to landfills. 

The trend of the production and reuse of these ashes (in coal-fired power plants) in Spain and the United Kingdom is shown below:

Nuclear waste

258.98 m3 of radioactive waste was produced in the low-level / low-activity category at the Cofrentes plant in Spain during 2012.

In that year, the Cofrentes plant produced a total of 161.94 m3 of conditioned intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste and sent 216.5 m3 to the temporary storage facility of El Cabril for deposit.  The rest of the nuclear power plants in which IBERDROLA holds an interest produced 173.24 m3 of conditioned intermediate- and low-level radioactive waste (a figure corresponding to the attributable percentage), and 139.54 m3 were sent to El Cabril. 

The high-level waste that is produced are the fuel assemblies replaced at the nuclear reactor that are stored as spent assemblies within the pools of the nuclear reactors. At the Cofrentes plant, no elements were replaced, with a resulting total of 3,724 fuel assemblies stored in the pool. At the other plants in which an interest is held, 4,921 assemblies were replaced, 1,985 of which are attributable to IBERDROLA. There is a total amount of 3,616 assemblies attributable to the Company.

IBERDROLA nuclear power plants are included in the Environmental Radiological Monitoring Programme of the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council, which involves taking samples of air, water, soil, etc. on a regular basis in order to ensure that all the parameters are within the established limits(2). 

More information 

Other waste

Hazardous waste 

The Group’s various areas carry out activities designed to minimize and improve the management of the hazardous waste that is produced (PCB-contaminated equipment and oil, lubricants, resins, emulsions, etc.), and are included within the certified environmental management systems.  The waste is periodically delivered to authorized handlers for proper processing, although there are temporary warehouses for hazardous waste at the facilities and thus not all waste generated is immediately deposited or recycled. The hazardous wastes are shown below:

The large increase shown this year is mainly due to Brazil, where the regeneration of batteries was carried out at the plants of Energyworks in Balsa Nova and at Mogi Guaçu, a process that involves high consumption of acid and alkaline solutions.

There was also an increase in hazardous waste in the United Kingdom due to the elimination of asphalt.

Non hazardous waste

For non-hazardous waste, the Company maintains minimization and recycling plans, along with awareness-raising campaigns leading to the adoption of good environmental practices by its employees. There are many kinds of non-hazardous waste, including electronic equipment, metal, pipe, wood, plastic, paper, etc. 

The tables below show a breakdown of non-hazardous waste generated:

IBERDROLA does not directly ship, import or export hazardous waste included in the Basel Convention in any of the countries where it operates.