Environmental management systems at power plants

The power plants are pioneers in the construction of environmental management systems according to the ISO 14001 standard at Helsinki Energy. The environmental management system at the Salmisaari Power Plants was certified already in the autumn of 2000, the Vuosaari Power Plants gained a certificate for their system in 2002 and the Hanasaari Power Plants got their own in 2003.

The ISO 14001 standard offers a clear and effective operating model for environmental work at power plants, founded on HelenPower’s environmental policy. The environmental performance of the company’s own activity is being developed all the time to ensure that electricity and district heating can be produced efficiently, economically, safely and in a way that minimises environmental effects.

The increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements are also steering the development of environmental management systems. 2004 saw the start of the merging of the separate environmental management systems at the power plants into a single HelenPower environmental management system. The objective is to integrate the environmental management system more effectively into the power plants’ routines.

Operation of the power plants in accordance with the requirements of the ISO 14001 standard has improved their environmental performance and interaction with different interest groups. It has also increased personnel’s environmental awareness. In future, the opportunities afforded by the environmental management system will also be exploited in Helsinki Energy’s other business units.